Burkina Faso introduces a new passport policy, signaling a move that bypasses regional bloc agreements, raising questions about its relations with neighboring countries and regional cooperation.
Amid a disagreement with the 50-year-old regional political and economic union, Burkina Faso has released new biometric passports that lack the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) symbol on their covers.
During Tuesday’s launch, the Security Minister of Burkina Faso – Mahamadou Sana declared that due to Ouagadougou withdrawing from the bloc, there was no indication or reference made to ECOWAS on their passports. Additionally, he further stated that they have omitted any and all symbols related to this organization too.
The creator of the travel documents is EmpTech, a Chinese company as stated by Perfect Loure – director-general of the National Identification Office in a landlocked state.
The Alliance of Sahel States (AES), consisting of Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali, pledged to support one another against security risks. However, in January they declared their departure from the regional group made up of 15 nations as a result of ECOWAS’s perceived infringement on their sovereignty by acting as an instrument for foreign powers. The bloc was prompted to intervene with French backing after the removal of Mohamed Bazoum from his position as President in July 2023 posed threats to democratic order within Niger.
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ECOWAS was criticized by the ex-French colonies for enforcing “illegal” and “inhumane” sanctions once they had all cut defense ties with Paris. These countries cited ECOWAS’ lack of assistance in their fight against decade-long jihadist violence lingering in the Sahel region, which served as a pretext to remove civilian governments.
Rejecting the accusations, ECOWAS has been actively persuading Bamako, Niamey and Ouagadougou to rethink their choice by cautioning that it would jeopardize free trade and movement in the area.
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal was appointed by ECOWAS in July to start negotiations with Sahel leaders, aiming to resolve the current deadlock and restore stability across the region. In February, economic and travel sanctions against Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso were lifted as a result.
The West African economic bloc has been eliminated as an option by the three military rulers. Recently, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, the Prime Minister of Niger urged ECOWAS members to join the Alliance for Sahel States in May which he claims is committed to upholding “sovereignty and dignity”.
