West African leaders from the regional group ECOWAS meet for a summit with three nation members led by military governments on the brink of quitting the bloc. Before the Economic Community of West African States meeting, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger reaffirmed as "irreversible" their decision a year ago to quit the group, which they condemned as subservient to ex-colonial ruler France. "The Authority decides to set a period from 29 January 2025, to 29 July 2025, as a transitional period and to keep ECOWAS' doors open to the three countries," ECOWAS commission president Omar Touray tells the summit. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES