NIGER-BURKINA-POLITICS-DIPLOMACY-COUP-ARMY

Niger's General Abdourahamane Tiani (L) revues a guard of honor next to his Burkinabe counterpart Captain Ibrahim Traore (R) upon his arrival in Niamey on July 5, 2024. A divided West Africa hosts two presidential summits this weekend -- one in Niger between Sahel region military regime leaders, followed by another in Nigeria on Sunday with leaders of a wider economic bloc. Saturday's summit in Niger's capital Niamey, will mark the first between the military leaders of a new regional bloc, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger set up the mutual defence pact in September, leaving the wider Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc in January. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)