The 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) talks are aimed at "synchronising the regional response" to the political crises in the two nations, it said in a statement Wednesday night.

The summit comes eight days after the regional leaders met in Abidjan, scrambling to find a solution to the new setbacks in a historically troubled region.

Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore, who has mediated in the Mali crisis, and the ECOWAS chairman, Ivory Coast's Alassane Ouattara, were to attend the talks in Senegal, which neighbours both the troubled nations.

Mali's interim president Dioncounda Traore, who was appointed to lead the country back to democracy after a March 22 coup ousted leader Amadou Toumani Toure, was also invited as his country remains gripped by uncertainty.

Toure was overthrown by a military junta headed by Captain Amadou Sanogo, who quickly accepted an ECOWAS-negotiated deal to hand back power to civilians.

However the soldiers never really stepped back and continued to make arrests, targeting former allies of Toure.

On Monday and Tuesday, elite "Red Beret" paratroopers who had remained loyal to Toure attempted a counter-coup and tried to seize the airport, national broadcaster and a military barracks that has become the headquarters of the junta.

Hospital officials told AFP that at least 22 people had been killed in fighting between the ex-junta and presidential guard.

Burkina Faso's Foreign Minister Djibril Bassole said the offensive launched Monday night was an "unfortunate incident."

But it "does not undermine the institutions, the interim president is still in place, the institutions remain in place," he said.

However Sanogo still has his hand on the wheel and on Saturday nixed an ECOWAS demand for elections in Mali within 12 months.

He also has rejected a plan to send foreign troops into northern Mali, captured by a loose coalition of Tuareg and Islamist rebels following the March 22 coup.

Also on the summit agenda is Guinea-Bissau, where plans for a return to constitutional rule are clouded in ambiguity as the junta prevaricates.

Army chief Antonio Indjai led a coup on April 12, aborting an election process in the country which has a long history of military overthrows and chronic instability.

The junta initially accepted a 12-month transition programme brokered by the region, however three days later talks in Banjul collapsed and ECOWAS slapped the coup leaders with sanctions, saying Indjai was not willing to negotiate.

The junta said Tuesday the only sticking point was the return of interim president Raimundo Pereira as head of government, after he was arrested by troops along with other top officials but later released.

"Given the seriousness of the current situation in Guinea-Bissau, the Council today approved targeted restrictive measures," the EU said in a statement.

It said a ban on entering the EU and the assets freeze targeted "six persons that threaten the peace, security and stability of Guinea-Bissau."

Their names will be listed in the EU Official Journal on May 4.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton reiterated that the bloc strongly condemned the April 12 coup "and demands that constitutional order be immediately restored."

The EU sanctions came as West African leaders met in Dakar for a fresh summit on Mali and Guinea-Bissau, both rocked by recent coups.

The 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) talks are aimed at "synchronising the regional response" to the political crises in the two nations, it said in a statement Wednesday night.

In Guinea-Bissau, plans for a return to constitutional rule are clouded in ambiguity as the junta prevaricates.

Army chief Antonio Indjai led the coup, aborting an election process in the country notorious for its history of military overthrows and instability.

The junta initially accepted a 12-month transition programme brokered by the region, however three days later talks collapsed and ECOWAS slapped the coup leaders with sanctions, saying Indjai was not willing to negotiate.

The junta said Tuesday the only sticking point was the return of interim president Raimundo Pereira as head of government, after he was arrested by troops along with other top officials but later released.

W.Africa demands release of political prisoners in G.Bissau
Dakar (AFP) May 3, 2012 - West African leaders on Thursday asked Guinea-Bissau's junta to free all political prisoners held since an April 12 coup, according to a statement issued after high-level talks in Dakar.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) "hailed the release of ex-prime minister Carlos Gomes and interim president Raimundo Pereira" but demanded "the release of all people still detained illegally in the country."

Pereira and Gomes were arrested during the coup by army chief Antonio Indjai which aborted an election process in which Gomes was the favourite to win in a April 29 run-off election.

Both were released on April 27 and took part in the Dakar meeting.

The heads of state confirmed a decision taken at a summit in Abidjan on April 26 for a 12 month transition period.

"To lead the transition, the summit recommends that the National Assembly renews its offices and the new speaker takes on the function of interim president. Then a consensus prime minister will be designated to lead a unity government," said the statement.

The summit recommended that the people serving in these two posts should not contest ensuing elections.

Negotiations between ECOWAS and the junta had reached a deadlock as Indjai refused to accept the return of Pereira as interim leader. Pereira was appointed after the death of President Malam Bacai Sanha in January.

While the Abidjan summit had urged the immediate deployment of west African troops in Bissau, leaders on Thursday said troops "will be deployed to guarantee the withdrawal of MISANG (Angolan troops) and assure the security of the transition."

The force will replace some 600 Angolan troops who have been stationed in the chronically unstable country since 2011, and whose presence was cited by soldiers as the reason behind the coup.