The West African countries of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have exited the military rule and political pressures of the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to form the Alliance of the Sahel States (AES).
On January 29, 2025, the AES’ break with ECOWAS went into effect—a milestone which the alliance celebrated by introducing a new, Sahel-wide passport. The AES passport contains modern biometric technology and meets all requirements set forth by the International Civil Aviation Organization. The passport has the same diplomatic standing as other internationally recognized travel documents.
Burkina Faso led the way by launching a new biometric passport in September 2024, modernizing its security features while also making a bold political statement by omitting the ECOWAS logo from the document. At that time, Phil Hodge, Document Expert at Keesing Technologies, explained, “Not only is the removal of references to ECOWAS on the passport symbolic of the country’s recent political shifts and its decision to distance itself from the wider economic community, but the new passports are also the first in West Africa to incorporate advanced biometric technology.”
AES Passport for Citizens of Mali
The front cover of the AES passport names the country of issuance but has the words “Alliance of Sahel States” (in French) at the top. The colorful AES logo appears on the back cover.
Issuing passports of citizens in AES bloc
AES passports will be issued to citizens of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. This will streamline citizens’ ability to travel between the three allied nations. Citizens will have the option to retain their existing ECOWAS passports or obtain the new AES passport. Also valid is the Burkina Faso passport that does not include the AES name and logo but omits the ECOWAS logo. All such passports will be valid for travel, with identical application procedures and fees at border police offices.
Sources/References:
APA News
iAfrica
IDTechWire
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