Olushola Omogbehin
In a move to deepen Pan-African solidarity and boost integration, the government of Burkina Faso has announced the removal of visa fees for all African travelers.
BBC reports that Security Minister Mahamadou Sana revealed this after a cabinet meeting presided over by Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
“From now on, any citizen from an African country wishing to go to Burkina Faso will not pay any amount to cover visa fees,” Sana said, but visitors would still be required to complete an online application process subject to approval.
By this, Burkina Faso now joins countries like Ghana, Rwanda, and Kenya, which have recently introduced more relaxed travel policies for Africans in line with the African Union’s push for free movement across the continent.
Although citizens of West African nations have long enjoyed visa-free entry to Burkina Faso under ECOWAS protocols, the development comes against the backdrop of Ouagadougou’s recent withdrawal from the regional bloc alongside Mali and Niger.
The military-led regimes in the three Sahel states accuse ECOWAS of bowing to Western interests and have instead sought closer ties with Russia.
Traoré, who seized power in a September 2022 coup, has styled himself as a Pan-African revolutionary, regularly lashing out at colonialism and Western influence.
His social media presence have made him a great figure among many Africans. However, critics accuse him of authoritarianism, stifling dissent, and failing to rein in a worsening Islamist insurgency that has left around 40% of Burkina Faso outside state control.
