The governments of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger are set to issue new biometric passports, marking a significant step in their exit from the West African regional bloc ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States). This move comes in the wake of military takeovers in all three nations, leading them to form a new alliance known as the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), Malian leader Assimi Goita announced on Sunday.
In January, the three neighboring countries, all ruled by military juntas, declared their intent to leave ECOWAS, which has since urged them to reconsider. Burkina Faso began issuing passports without the ECOWAS logo earlier this month, signaling the shift.
Goita revealed that the AES biometric passports would soon be available, aiming to standardize travel documents across the member states and enhance mobility for their citizens globally.
“In the coming days, a new biometric passport of the AES will be put into circulation with the aim of harmonizing travel documents in our common area and facilitating the mobility of our citizens throughout the world,” Goita said during a Sunday evening address.
This announcement precedes a scheduled meeting on Monday, where foreign ministers from the three countries will gather to mark the anniversary of their alliance formation.
Additionally, Goita mentioned plans for a joint information platform to ensure coordinated communication across the alliance.
ECOWAS has expressed concerns that the withdrawal of these countries could harm the bloc’s 49-year-old common market and restrict the movement of the 400 million people living within it. The departure of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger also comes amid ongoing conflicts with insurgent groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State, whose presence threatens to destabilize the broader region, including coastal West African states.
