Burkina Faso launches new passports, severing ties with ECOWAS

Burkina Faso has officially launched new biometric passports that no longer feature the logo of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

This move further underscores the deteriorating relationship between the military junta-led country and the regional bloc.

In January, Burkina Faso, along with Mali and Niger, announced their withdrawal from ECOWAS following the imposition of sanctions and threats of military intervention in response to their successful coups.

Niger’s General Abdourahamane Tchiani reaffirmed this decision at a summit in July, declaring that the Sahel nations have irrevocably turned their backs on the regional bloc.

The departure of these three Sahelian countries from ECOWAS raises concerns about the potential impact on regional cooperation in combating terrorism, banditry, and transnational crime.

The deteriorating security situation in northern Nigeria, in particular, could be exacerbated by the weakened regional collaboration.

ALSO READ : ECOWAS launches initiative to strengthen media collaboration

ECOWAS has made efforts to persuade the three countries to reconsider their decision, but the deteriorating political climate in the region suggests that a complete break-up may be inevitable.

Burkina Faso’s Security Minister, Mahamadou Sana, justified the removal of the ECOWAS logo from the new passports, stating that the country has decided to withdraw from the organization and that the passport change is a reflection of this decision.

ECOWAS has warned that the withdrawal of the three countries could undermine the freedom of movement and common market enjoyed by the 400 million people living within the bloc.

The departure of these countries comes at a time when their armies are grappling with armed groups whose insurgencies have destabilized the central Sahel region and pose a threat to coastal states.