Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have unveiled plans to introduce a common biometric passport, designed to ease the movement of citizens across their borders and strengthen the ties between the three countries. This initiative, announced by Mali’s Colonel Assimi Goita, reflects the Sahel states’ growing efforts to unify after distancing themselves from ECOWAS, which they claim is under the influence of Western powers.

The biometric passport, part of a broader plan for deeper cooperation, will be supported by new infrastructure aimed at increasing connectivity between the countries. Additionally, the nations plan to launch a shared information channel to harmonize communication across the region. The announcement comes as the alliance celebrates its one-year anniversary, commemorating the creation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

This alliance is part of a larger strategic realignment, with the Sahel nations moving away from traditional Western partnerships and forming closer military and political ties with Russia. Russian mercenary forces are actively supporting these governments in their fight against Islamist insurgents, further cementing the alliance’s geopolitical shift.

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