Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, will unveil a new biometric passport to boost cooperation and security. The three countries made the announcement under The Alliance of States in the Sahel (AES), a regional group formed last September by their military leaders.
The announcement follows the decision by the three Sahel neighbours announced to withdraw from the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Following their withdrawal, they created the Alliance of States in the Sahel (AES).
AES president and Malian chief of staff Colonel Assimi Goita said in a radio address on Sunday that the organization will soon introduce a biometric passport to facilitate the movement of citizens taking the exam from the country.
Goita also said they plan to broadcast a press conference to support the media for reconciliation between the three states.
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Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have established the AES and announced the creation of a joint military force to address the growing security challenges posed by their armed forces.
ECOWAS has warned that the three countries’ withdrawal would lead to freedom of movement and work for the 400 million people in the 49-year-old bloc.
Their departures come as their militia battles groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State, whose attacks have destabilized the region over the past decade and threaten to spread to coastal countries in West Africa.
The three countries are facing the danger of an insurgency that began in northern Mali in 2012 and spread to Niger and Burkina Faso in 2015. Thousands of people have been displaced.
