The three West African states which are currently governed by military juntas, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, have said that they will be launching new biometric passports.
This is part of their broad withdrawal from a regional body, the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas).
The three countries, which together have formed the Alliance of Sahel States (ASS), all saw the military seize power between 2020 and 2023.
Ecowas has tried to sanction the three countries, to urge them back to civilian rule, but thus far it has failed. At one stage it was feared that Ecowas could attempt the use of force to persuade the three countries, but this threat appears to have receded.
The alliance said that it would be launching a new biometric passport soon, which would harmonise travel documents between the three countries. It would also be working to promote “harmonious dissemination of information in our three states”.