West African leaders on Thursday decided against toughening sanctions against Burkina Faso after it became the region's latest country to be hit by a coup, opting instead to demand a timetable for a swift return to civilian rule.

On January 24, Burkina Faso became the third member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to have an elected president toppled by the military in the last two years.

(Cover: Burkina Faso soldiers are deployed outside the National TV in Ouagadougou, January 24, 2022. /CFP)