Three West African countries governed by military juntas are set to introduce new biometric passports “in the coming days” as part of their departure from the regional bloc Ecowas.
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, where military leaders took control in coups between 2020 and 2023, announced their plan to leave Ecowas in January. The regional bloc had imposed sanctions on these nations in an effort to encourage a return to civilian rule.
However, the three countries, now united in the Alliance of Sahel States, have continued to resist international pressure and strengthen their alliance. Malian junta leader Col Assimi Goïta, who heads the alliance, announced the forthcoming launch of the new biometric passports in a televised address on Sunday.
The passports are intended to standardize travel documents within the alliance’s member states. Alongside the new passport issuance, Goïta mentioned plans to establish a joint service for better information dissemination across the three countries.
Burkina Faso had previously revealed its intention to issue a new biometric passport without the Ecowas logo. It remains uncertain how these passports will affect travel to other Ecowas states, where the current regional passport allows visa-free movement.
In July, the junta leaders declared their definitive separation from Ecowas, aiming to create a sovereign community based on African values, away from foreign influence. The announcement coincides with Ecowas’s ongoing efforts to reintegrate the three Sahel nations into the bloc.
The Sahel alliance, formed last year to enhance military cooperation and more recently expanded to a confederation, has faced challenges in addressing persistent jihadist violence, which has caused widespread suffering in the region.
The junta-led countries have also expelled French troops and sought military support from Russia in their fight against insurgent groups.
