Nigeria has slammed the move by three Junta-led countries to quit ECOWAS. Abuja currently chairs the bloc, and says the unelected military leaders of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso are letting their people down with their joint decision to leave.

There are concerns that their exit will deal a blow to the bloc’s regional integration efforts after it suspended the countries following coups. In a statement, the Nigerian foreign ministry says those seeking to leave ECOWAS are not acting in good faith.

However, it says they are still willing to engage with the three countries. International Crisis Group senior advisor Liesl Louw-Vaudran says that this move will affect citizens who travel on Ecowas PASSPORTS.