Condemn or cooperate? West African leaders are grappling with that question as they scramble for the antidote to coup contagion. Since regional bloc Ecowas decided earlier this month to play hardball with Mali's junta, tensions have spiraled far and wide. The latest, Bamako expelling France's ambassador amid a war of words over the hiring of the Russian mercenaries of Wagner right under the noses of French and E-U forces in the country to fight a jihadist insurgency.

We ask our panel how far it will go and whether Mali's a cautionary tale for Burkina Faso where a high level Ecowas mission is meeting with the leaders of last week's coup before deciding whether to slap sanctions or offer reinforcements in the fight against the same jihadists who have spread out to the so-called Three Borders area with Burkina Faso and Niger. And here is the vicious circle that needs breaking.

Poor citizens, limited resources and weak institutions enable traffickers, bandits and zealots to thrive. A beleaguered army and terrified citizens revolt against their leaders but once the new strongman takes over, what changes? How to truly bring law and order?

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