Regional Security Pact Launched in Bamako
Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger withdrew from Economic Community of West African States, citing expanding Islamist insurgency and aiming to reduce reliance on ECOWAS-led structures.
Ceremony in Bamako attended by defense ministers and international reps; command base established in Niamey, Niger.
Nigerian Air Force C-130 emergency landing in Burkina Faso, 11 crew detained.
Three countries withdrew from International Criminal Court, calling it neo-colonial amid Western pressure.