Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have created their own bloc after leaving ECOWAS.
Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have joined forces to form the Alliance of Sahel States, each ruled by a military government, leading to a split in West Africa's largest regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The three military leaders have pledged to support each other in the face of external threats and internal security challenges.
But can they succeed if they act alone? Or will a divided Sahel make regional challenges even harder to address?
Presenter:
Mohamed Jamjoom
Guests:
Erwan de Cherisey – African armed forces specialist who has participated in military operations in Cameroon, Nigeria and Gambia
Ahmedou Ould Abdallah – Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mauritania and President of the Centre for Strategies and Security for the Sahel Sahara
Alkassoum Abdourahmane – Permanent Secretary of the International Sahel Solidarity Forum and specialist in humanitarian and development issues in the Sahel region
