Junta-led West African states to launch new passport

Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, which have been under military rule since a series of coups from 2020 to 2023, will soon introduce a new biometric passport for their citizens.

This move is part of their planned departure from the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), which they announced in January.

The new passports aim to standardize travel documents within the newly formed Alliance of Sahel States.

The transition might impact visa-free travel previously enjoyed within the Ecowas bloc.

The three countries, now focusing on building a sovereign community, have also expelled French troops and sought Russian military support.