Breakaway junta confederation undermines West African leaders’ summit

A West African leaders’ summit opens on Sunday amid political strife, following the formation of a breakaway confederation by the military rulers of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso at a rival meeting. This defiant assembly, on the eve of the ECOWAS summit, poses a significant challenge to the regional bloc, which is already beset by budgetary issues, jihadist violence and the complexities of assembling a force in the region.