West African junta states set to launch new regional passport
Plans are underway for the launch of new biometric passports by junta-led West African countries, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
This was announced by Malian junta leader Col Assimi Goita in a televised address on September 15.
The three Alliance of Sahel States will be launching the new passport in the coming days as part of their withdrawal from the wider regional bloc Ecowas.
The three indicated plans to exit Ecowas after a series of coups between 2020 and 2023 earned them sanctions from Ecowas.
Goita who is also acting president of the Sahel alliance revealed plans to launch a joint service that will promote information between all three states.
"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," Malian junta leader Col Assimi Goïta was quoted.
Prior to this, Burkina Faso had revealed plans to launch a new biometric passport without the Ecowas logo.
It remains unclear how the new passports will affect travelling within Ecowas states where nationals of these countries enjoyed visa-free movement using the Ecowas passport.
Meanwhile, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said in July that the region risked disintegration and worsening insecurity after junta-led Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger made clear their intentions to leave the bloc by signing a confederation treaty.
