Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger to launch common passport
The Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a regional bloc that was established last September by the military leaders of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, has announced that they will launch a common passport to enhance cooperation and security.
AES Chair and Mali’s military leader, Colonel Assimi Goita, said in a TV address on Sunday that the alliance would soon launch a common biometric passport that will also facilitate the mobility of citizens across the three nations.
He spoke ahead of a meeting on Monday between the three countries’ foreign ministers on the anniversary of the decision to form their own alliance.
Goita also said they were planning to launch a shared information channel “in order to promote a harmonious dissemination of information in our three states.”
He made the statement to mark the one-year anniversary of the AES since its creation on September 16 last year.
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger formed the AES and announced the creation of a joint military force to counter spiralling security challenges posed in their countries by militants.
