West African leaders have agreed to send troops to Mali and Guinea-Bissau following coups² in both countries.

马里与几内亚比绍两国国内均发生政变，西非领导人同意向这两国派遣军队。

The regional grouping Ecowas said after an emergency summit that it expected both countries to organise³ presidential elections within the next 12 months.

Between 500 and 600 troops will be sent immediately to Guinea-Bissau.

At least 3,000 regional soldiers are ready to go to Mali to support the transitional government's fight against rebels which control the north.

The BBC's John James at the meeting in Abidjan says no timescale was set for the deployment⁴ to Mali, because the leaders were waiting for the Malian government to draw up details of their collaboration⁵.

It is still unclear which regional countries will contribute to the Ecowas force, and even once ready, it will need financial and logistical outside help before it can be deployed⁶.

But Ecowas warned the coup¹ leaders in Guinea-Bissau that if they failed to agree to the deployment within 72 hours, they face targeted sanctions.

The troops will provide security during the transition to civilian⁷ rule.

The army took power on April 12, during presidential elections which were expected to elect the current prime minister Carlos Gomes Junior.

Soldiers say they staged the coup because of alleged⁸ plans by Mr Gomes to reduce the size of the army.

The interim⁹ President Raimundo Pereira and Mr Gomes were arrested during the coup.

Northern rebels

In Mali, a civilian government has been restored in the south following last month's coup that overthrew¹⁰ President Amadou Toumani Toure shortly before he was due to be replaced in elections.

The government in the capital, Bamako, is struggling to cope with rebels who want to create a separate northern state.

The current Ecowas chairman, the Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara, said the leaders were "confronted by the biggest ever threat to our democracy".

Speaking at the start of the meeting he said: "A strong response and the commitment of our allies is more than ever vital so that the region doesn't fall prey¹¹ to terrorism and international criminality."

There are two main groups behind the rebellion in Mali: The secular¹² National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) and Ansar Dine, an Islamist group that has started to impose Sharia in some towns.

The MNLA is made up partly of Tuareg who had fought in Libya on the side of Col Muammar Gaddafi and returned to Mali after he was killed.

They complain they have been ignored by the authorities in the south.