- Malian junta leader Assimi Goita has announced that Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger will introduce new biometric passports to strengthen the new Sahel alliance following withdrawal from the West African bloc.
- He stated that in the coming days, a new biometric passport for the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) will be circulated to harmonise travel documents across the region.
"We will be working to put in place the infrastructure needed to strengthen the connectivity of our territories through transport, communications networks and information technology," he added.
On September 4, 2024, Burkina Faso unveiled new biometric passports without the logo of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), underscoring its determination to withdraw from the regional bloc following the military coup.
"On this passport, there's no ECOWAS logo, and no mention of ECOWAS either. Since January, Burkina Faso has decided to withdraw from this body, and this is just a realisation of the action already taken by Burkina Faso," security minister Mahamadou Sana mentioned during the launch.
Burkina Faso's new passport is reportedly produced by a Chinese biometrics firm, Emptech.
In January 2024, the three countries jointly announced their decision to withdraw from the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). However, ECOWAS cautioned that their withdrawal would undermine the freedom of movement and common market of the 400 million people living in the 50-year-old bloc.
This withdrawal raised concerns as it meant their citizens would no longer have access to the ECOWAS passport or biometric ID card, and they would also be excluded from the WURI digital ID program.
The West Africa Unique Identification for Regional Integration and Inclusion (WURI) programme, a World Bank-backed scheme, supports the issuance of foundational IDs in ECOWAS countries, including Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, and Niger, Mali.
Meanwhile, the introduction of the new passport by the Sahel alliance could address these concerns by providing an alternative means for regional identification and integration.
In March 2024, Burkina Faso's push to enhance its digital public infrastructure gained $150 million in support from the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA).
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This funding will aid the country's "Digital Acceleration Project," aimed at improving infrastructure, public services, and digital skills, potentially complementing the new biometric passport initiative and strengthening regional connectivity.
