X, the Elon Musk-owned platform formerly known as Twitter, has begun serving its users with

Three West African nations led by military juntas met this week to strengthen a newly formed alliance described by some analysts on Friday as an attempt to legitimize their military governments amid coup-related sanctions and strained relations with neighbors. In his first foreign trip since the July coup that brought him into power, Niger’s junta leader, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani held separate meetings Thursday with his Mali and Burkina Faso counterparts. During their meetings, the leaders pledged security and political collaborations under the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a partnership the three countries announced in September as a measure to help fight the extremist violence they each struggle with and across the Sahel, the vast arid expanse south of the Sahara Desert. The alliance provides a “path of sovereignty” for the countries and for their citizens, Gen. Tchiani told reporters after his meeting with Malian leader Col. Assimi Goita. “Through this alliance, the peoples of the Sahel affirm that … nothing will prevent them from the objective of making this area of ​​the Sahel, not an area of ​​insecurity, but an area of ​​prosperity,” Tchiani said. In reality, though, the partnership "is in part an effort to entrench and legitimize (their) military governments” more than to tackle the violent extremism which they have limited capacity to fight, said Nate Allen, an associate professor at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. The violence across the Sahel has contributed to a recent surge of coups in the region and militaries that claimed they took over power to help tackle their country's security challenges have struggled to do so. On Thursday, Gen. Tchiani partly blamed the violence on foreign powers, repeating claims his government has often made against France — which had been influential in the three countries before being forced out after their militaries took over — and against West Africa’s regional bloc of ECOWAS, which has heavily sanctioned Niger as a measure to reverse the surge of coups in the region. The new partnership also offers the military governments of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger an opportunity "to say, ‘we are not internationally isolated and we actually have partners that share our ideology and philosophy’,” said James Barnett, a researcher specializing in West Africa at the U.S.-based Hudson Institute. Some analysts, however, believe that by pooling their resources together, those countries are able to reduce individual reliance on foreign countries and tackle the security challenge with one front. “The merit of this new alliance, despite its limited means and capabilities, lies in its initiation by concerned members," said Bedr Issa, an independent analyst who researches the conflict in the Sahel. "Its long-term success depends both on the resources that member countries can mobilize and the support that Africans and the broader international community could provide,” he added. In the Malian capital of Bamako, 35-year-old Aissata Sanogo expressed hope that such a partnership could be useful. “It’s important that we take charge of our own security,” said Sanogo. “That’s what I’m expecting from this alliance.” ____ Associated Press journalist Baba Ahmed in Bamako, Mali, contributed to this report. ____ Follow AP’s Africa coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa Read More Victims in Niagara Falls border bridge crash identified as Western New York couple Mexico's arrest of cartel security boss who attacked army families' complex was likely personal Argentina and Brazil charged by FIFA after fan violence delays World Cup qualifying game at Maracana Germany's economy shrank, and it's facing a spending crisis that's spreading more gloom NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn't happen this week Putin to boost AI work in Russia to fight a Western monopoly he says is 'unacceptable and dangerous'

Law enforcement officials made the chilling find on Thursday afternoon, June 29, at around 1.45 pm, following a call to the scene in the small town of Gaffney

Three people, including a young girl, were killed in Kyiv on Thursday while desperately trying to take cover in a closed bomb shelter amid fresh Russian strikes, in an incident that sparked anger in the Ukrainian capital.

Players must adjust their settings to turn off NBA 2K24 crossplay on Next Gen platforms, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.

One after another, the pressure came in waves

New celebrity skin-care and beauty brands seem to be rolling out fast and steady these days, but long before legitimately good lines like Fenty Beauty by Rihanna and Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty could exist, there was the celebrity fragrance boom. Forget serums, sunscreens, and cream blush: For a certain generation, perfumes from 2000s icons like Britney Spears and Paris Hilton (like Elizabeth Taylor before them) dominated shelves and high-school locker rooms.

El Salvador's president has registered for reelection in next February’s contest even though legal experts and opposition figures say the country’s constitution prohibits it

Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy knows his team have to do better to win the series.

Pamela Anderson has a more natural look these days for a reason.

An overview of the media in Turkey, including links to broadcasters and newspapers.

Here's a breakdown of whether or not Super People has crossplay.