Scores of people on Tuesday rallied in Niger and Burkina Faso in support of the withdrawal of their countries from the Economic Community of West African

The departure of these three founding members from the bloc has fractured the region and is leaving the ECOWAS grouping with an uncertain future. The three countries have teamed up to form a separate confederation called the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

Thousands of people rallied Tuesday in Niger and Burkina Faso in support of the withdrawal of their countries from the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, which is due to take effect today.