Juntas in the neighbouring West African countries seized control in a series of coups between 2020 and 2023. Last year, they agreed to tackle security threats jointly after severing long-standing military and diplomatic ties with regional allies, France, and other Western powers.

Niger Defence Minister Salifou Mody said the new force would have its own air assets, equipment, and intelligence resources and operate across the territory of the three nations, which have formed a cooperation pact known as the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

"The unified AES force is nearly ready, numbering 5 000 personnel," Mody said on Tuesday.

"It's only a matter of weeks before this force will be visible on the ground," he said, adding that some joint operations had already taken place.

Violence fuelled by a decade-long fight with Islamist groups linked to Al Qaeda and Islamic State has worsened since the coups. Around 2.6 million people were displaced within the region as of end-December, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The creation of the three-way alliance followed the countries' decision to withdraw from West Africa's main political and economic group Economic Community of West African States, which is still pushing them to reconsider the move that reverses decades of broader regional integration.

--Reuters--