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Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are the most affected as the vast Sahel region south of the Sahara has become the deadliest place in the world for extremism, with armed groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. All three countries have seen coups in recent years and struggled with overstretched security forces.

The countries' leaders agreed in a summit Tuesday to boost security and economic ties, days after the weekend launch of the joint military battalion that's meant to fight the armed groups. It is expected to have 5,000 personnel.

The alliance has “put an end to all occupation forces in our countries,� said Niger’s junta leader, Abdourahamane Tchiani, alluding to member states' decisions to kick out longtime partners France and the United States.

“No country or interest group will decide for our countries anymore,� Tchiani added.

Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, however, have turned to .

The Sahel's complex security crisis remains “very difficult to defeat� no matter who’s engaged with the alliance, said Rida Lyammouri, a Sahel specialist with the Policy Center for the New South think tank in Morocco.

The second annual summit shows growing collaboration among the three countries despite fractured relations and coup-related sanctions from global partners, said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

The alliance “enjoys popularity among citizens of the three countries� and is trying to keep momentum going by deepening cooperation beyond cross-border military operations, Laessing said.