With Senegal in political turmoil, fractured West African bloc appeals for unity

West Africa’s regional bloc appealed for unity on after emergency talks on the withdrawal of three coup-hit countries from the group.

West Africa's regional bloc appealed for unity on after emergency talks on the withdrawal of three coup-hit countries from the group.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) extraordinary session also addressed President Macky Sall's decision to delay elections in Senegal, a major concern for the region that came just a week after Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger declared their departure.

The chairman of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council urged the three countries not to leave, warning their exit would "bring more hardship and do more harm to common citizens".

"We are stronger together as a community," Yusuf Maitama Tuggar said as West African foreign and defence ministers attended the council meeting in Nigeria's capital Abuja.

Senegal's ministers attended, but representatives for Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Guinea, all suspended from ECOWAS following coups, were not present.

ECOWAS Commission president Omar Alieu Touray also urged the bloc to remain united, saying "if there is a time for ECOWAS to stay together, this is the time".

Council members left to hold private talks before they returned more than six hours later and ended the session without providing a clear statement on what measures - if any - they would take.