Three West African nations Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso—are gearing up to introduce new biometric passports as part of their exit from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). This move signifies their growing detachment from the regional political and economic union.
Mali’s leader, Colonel Assimi Goïta, revealed that these countries, now forming the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), will soon issue a unified biometric passport. In a televised announcement, he stated, “In the coming days, the new biometric passport for the alliance will be launched to standardize travel documents within our shared region.”
All three nations are currently under military rule, with juntas taking control through coups between 2020 and 2023. In January, they collectively declared their intent to withdraw from ECOWAS, citing the undue influence of former colonial powers within the bloc.
This decision follows sanctions imposed by other West African nations aiming to pressure the juntas into restoring civilian governance. However, instead of yielding to these demands, the alliance has opted to strengthen internal cooperation.
Meanwhile, ECOWAS continues to urge the three countries to reconsider, warning that their departure could undermine the bloc’s unity. ECOWAS Commission President, Oumar Touray, voiced concerns that the exit could jeopardize the free movement of people and the common market, which serves 400 million citizens in the region.
