The leaders of the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) will, on Sunday, hold its 66th Ordinary Summit in Abuja to discuss the departure of three military-led governments.

It would be recalled that Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic had reaffirmed their decision to quit the union, which they condemned as subservient to ex-colonial ruler France.

Speaking on the three African countries departure, the union regulations said the departure of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger will become effective one year after the announcement, in January 2025.

However, the three breakaways have not announced plans to attend the Abuja summit, but they held a separate ministerial-level meeting Friday in Niger’s capital, Niamey.

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Among those attending the summit in the Nigerian capital will be Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who was appointed as a mediator with the breakaway states by the 15-member ECOWAS in July.

Faye said last week he was making progress in talks with the three and said there was no reason for them not to maintain relations, especially given the security situation.

The three states have also formed their own confederation, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), after severing ties with France and pivoting towards Russia.

The departure of the three could have a major impact on free trade and movement as well as on security cooperation in a region where jihadist groups are gaining ground across the Sahel.