Military rulers in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger to hold first joint summit

The junta-leaders in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger will hold their first ever joint summit this weekend. The “Alliance of Sahel States” meeting will be held in Niger’s capital Niamey. In mid-May, the foreign ministers of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger agreed in Niamey on a draft text creating the confederation, which the heads of states are expected to adopt at Saturday’s summit. The three countries, which have faced deadly jihadist violence, also aim to create a common currency.