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Three West African nations, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, are making ready to launch new biometric passports as a part of their exit from the Financial Group of West African States (ECOWAS), a regional political and financial alliance in West Africa.
malian chief colonel Likewise goutintroduced that the three nations will quickly introduce biometric passports to the newly shaped Affiliation of Sahel States (AES). “Within the coming days, the Union’s new biometric passport shall be put into circulation with the purpose of harmonizing journey paperwork in our public areas,” he mentioned in a televised speech on Sunday night.
All three nations are presently dominated by navy juntas, which got here to energy in coups between 2020 and 2023.
The choice comes after different West African nations imposed sanctions to power the junta to return to civilian rule. Nonetheless, the alliance rejected these calls for, opting as a substitute to strengthen ties with one another.
ECOWAS urged the three nations to rethink, warning that their withdrawal might weaken the bloc. Chairman of the ECOWAS Fee, Omar ToureExpressing concern that the transfer might threaten the free motion of individuals within the area and the frequent market of 400 million residents.
