By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) comprising Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have agreed to introduce new biometric passports as part of their withdrawal from a West African bloc, after military leaders seized power in all three countries, Mali’s leader said on Sunday.
“In the coming days, a new biometric passport of the AES (Alliance of Sahel States) will be put into circulation with the aim of harmonising travel documents in our common area and facilitating the mobility of our citizens throughout the world”, Malian junta leader Assimi Goita announced on Sunday evening.
The three junta-led Sahel neighbours jointly announced in January they would leave the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which has sought to persuade them to reconsider their decision.
The Malian leader spoke ahead of a meeting between the three countries’ foreign ministers on the anniversary of the decision to form their own alliance.
Goita also said they were planning to launch a shared information channel “in order to promote a harmonious dissemination of information in our three states.”
Burkina Faso announced earlier this month that it was rolling out new passports without the ECOWAS logo.
ECOWAS has warned that the three countries’ withdrawal would undermine the freedom of movement and common market of the 400 million people living in the 49-year-old bloc.
Their exit comes as their armies battle groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State, whose insurgencies have destabilised the region over the past decade and threaten to spill over into coastal West African states.
Heritage Times HT reports that the three nations had in September last year set up the mutual defence pact in response to expulsion from the regional bloc following forceful military take over of power.
Soldiers took power in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger in a series of coups that took 2020 to 2023.
All three countries have been affected by jihadist violence, which is part of the reasons adduced for the army takeovers.
They alleged that France, their former colony was manipulating ECOWAS and failing to provide enough support for anti-jihadist efforts.
