BAMAKO: The military leaders of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have signed a mutual defence pact, ministerial delegations from the three Sahel countries announced in Mali`s capital Bamako.

The Liptako-Gourma Charter establishes the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), Mali`s junta leader Assimi Goita posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Its aim is to `establish an architecture of collective defence and mutual assistance for the benefit of our populations`, he wrote.

The Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger borders meet in the Liptako-Gourma region.All the three countries have undergone coups since 2020, most recently Niger, where soldiers in July overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum. The West African regional bloc ECOWAS has threatene d to intervene militarily in Niger over the coup.

Mali and Burkina Faso quickly responded by saying that any such operation would be deemed a `declaration of war` against them.

`This alliance will be a combination of military and economic efforts between the three countries`, Mali`s Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop said.-AFP