Niger's military leader, speaking alongside the junta chiefs from Mali and Burkina Faso, has said they are irrevocably turning their backs on the wider West African bloc, Ecowas. The three men are meeting together for the first time to cement an alliance created in the face of opposition from neighbouring countries. Soldiers took power in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger in a series of coups from 2020 to 2023. Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani, says that in the place of Ecowas, the junta chiefs wanted to build a community of sovereign peoples "far from the control of foreign powers. A community of peace, solidarity, prosperity based on our African values.”