Three countries, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic have announced plans to launch a new biometric passport amid their exit from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The decision points towards the latest step in the growing alliance among the three West African nations who are currently being led by military juntas.
The military leaders of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger seized power through a series of coups between 2020 and 2023 and in January 2024, they collectively announced their plan to withdraw from the ECOWAS.
The three West African nations have now decided to form the Alliance of Sahel States which is expected to take place “in the coming days.”
They decided to take this step following sanctions imposed by other West African countries in an attempt to pressure the juntas into restoring democracy in the three nations.
However, the Alliance of Sahel States has stood their ground in resisting these calls, instead deciding to fortify the partnership among themselves.
“In the coming days, a new biometric passport of the alliance will be put into circulation with the aim of harmonising travel documents in our common area,” said Col Assimi Goïta, the leader of Mali’s junta and acting president of the Sahel alliance in a televised speech on Sunday evening.
