Leaders address urgent need to combat forest loss and climate change in African montane regions.
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, three West African countries led by military juntas, plan to launch new biometric passports in the coming days as part of their withdrawal from the regional Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The passports, part of the Sahel Alliance formed by the three nations, aim to harmonize travel within their common area, according to Malian junta leader Col. Assimi Goïta. The three countries’ military leaders took power in a series of coups between 2020 and 2023. In response, ECOWAS sanctioned the juntas, aiming to force a return to civilian rule. However, all three nations resisted the pressure. Instead, they banded together to form the Alliance of Sahel States. While the new passports exclude the ECOWAS logo, it remains unclear how they will affect travel to other ECOWAS countries, where citizens previously enjoyed visa-free movement.
SOURCE: BBC