Implications of New Passport Policies in the Sahel

Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have introduced a new passport as part of their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), aiming to strengthen ties within their newly formed Alliance of Sahel States (AES). This new passport may not significantly impact trade or tourism, as movement among the citizens of these countries was already facilitated by the ECOWAS passport. The lack of differentiation in economic products traded among these nations suggests that the AES passport is largely symbolic. The real changes in border relations will only materialize when citizens need to renew their passports, as future compliance by ECOWAS to respect the new AES passports remains uncertain.