Burkina Faso has introduced new biometric passports that no longer feature the logo of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), further emphasizing its intention to withdraw from the regional alliance following a military coup.
Burkina Faso, along with neighboring Niger and Mali, announced in January their collective decision to exit the 15-member ECOWAS, a move that the bloc has since attempted to reverse.
Security Minister Mahamadou Sana, speaking at the launch event on Tuesday, confirmed the change. “This passport no longer bears the ECOWAS logo or any reference to the organization. Since January, Burkina Faso has decided to withdraw from this body, and this is simply the realization of that decision,” Sana stated.
ECOWAS has expressed concerns that the withdrawal of these three countries could jeopardize the free movement of people and the common market that serves the 400 million residents of the 50-year-old bloc.
The departure occurs as Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali continue to confront insurgencies by groups affiliated with al Qaeda and the Islamic State, which have destabilized West Africa’s central Sahel region for over a decade and pose a growing threat to coastal states.
Following a series of military coups between 2020 and 2023, the three nations have forged a defense and cooperation pact known as the Alliance of Sahel States. They have also severed long-standing military and diplomatic ties with Western powers, opting instead to strengthen relations with Russia.
