Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have declared their intentions to introduce new biometric passports as part of their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and establishing the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) Confederation.

Earlier this month, Burkina Faso declared it would begin issuing passports without the ECOWAS logo.

On Sunday evening, Malian junta leader Assimi Goita announced that a new biometric passport for the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) will soon be introduced. This initiative aims to standardize travel documents across the region and make it easier for citizens to travel globally.

Guetta also mentioned that the three nations' leaders are planning to launch a joint information platform to enhance the dissemination of knowledge in a coordinated manner.

In January, the three Sahel neighbours collectively declared their intention to withdraw from the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). In response, ECOWAS warned that the withdrawal of these three countries could undermine the free movement of people and the common market within the 49-year-old bloc, which serves nearly 400 million people.

Meanwhile, the Sahel States Confederation has pledged to strengthen its cooperation with China, which has committed over $50 billion in African funding in the next three years. This decision was made during a meeting held in Beijing as part of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC 2024) summit. (ILKHA)