Burkina Faso has introduced new biometric passports that no longer feature the logo of the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, marking another step towards distancing itself from the alliance following a military coup.
Burkina Faso, along with Niger and Mali, all governed by military juntas, declared in January their intention to exit the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The bloc has since been trying to convince the three nations to reverse their decision.
“On this passport, there’s no ECOWAS logo, and no mention of ECOWAS either. Since January, Burkina Faso has decided to withdraw from this body, and this is just a realization of the action already taken by Burkina Faso,” security minister Mahamadou Sana told reporters at the launch on Tuesday.
ECOWAS has cautioned that the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali could jeopardize the free movement of people and the common market shared by the 400 million residents of the 50-year-old bloc.
The exit of these nations comes as their armies continue to fight insurgencies linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS, which have destabilized the central Sahel region of West Africa over the last decade, with risks of spreading into coastal nations.
Following a series of military coups from 2020 to 2023, the three countries formed the Alliance of Sahel States, a defence and cooperation pact, while cutting military and diplomatic ties with Western powers in favor of strengthening ties with Russia.
