he Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) warned at its summit on Sunday that the region faced “disintegration” after the military rulers of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso announced they were breaking away from ECOWAS to form a new rival bloc.

ECOWAS Commission President Oumar Alieu Touray said the three countries risked “political isolation” and the loss of millions of dollars in investment if they seceded.

AFP reported that the three countries announced the formation of a new confederation, and their first meeting before the ECOWAS summit was another test for the regional bloc from which they broke away earlier this year.