Burkina Faso's President Ibrahim Traoré received his AES biometric passport after undergoing enrollment, with the passport issued by Minister of Security Mahamoudou Sana.
Citizens of the Alliance of Sahel States are encouraged to replace their current passports with the new AES document. However, the old passports with the ECOWAS logo will remain valid until their expiration date.
Earlier, Iba Karim, a former Burkinabe lawmaker, told Sputnik Africa that these AES standardized documents, like biometric passports, could encourage more movement of people and products, which would boost intra-confederal trade.
Although AES countries, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, announced their withdrawal from ECOWAS in late January 2024, they officially left on January 29, 2025.