The government of Burkina Faso announced on Thursday the removal of visa fees for all African nationals, aiming to boost Pan-African solidarity and support the free movement of people and goods across the continent. Security Minister Mahamadou Sana shared the details after a cabinet meeting led by military leader 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. He added that travellers must still apply online for approval before entering the country.
Citizens from West African countries already enter Burkina Faso without visas under existing arrangements. This new policy comes as the country faces questions about its position in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Burkina Faso, along with Mali and Niger, withdrew from the bloc earlier this year, creating uncertainty over regional travel rules. The withdrawal will take effect on January 29, 2025, after a one-year notice period. However, ECOWAS offered a six-month grace period until July 29, 2025, for reconsideration. During this time, nationals from the three countries could still travel visa-free to other ECOWAS members, and vice versa. After the grace period, citizens from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger will need business or tourist visas to enter the remaining 12 ECOWAS states, ending the previous 97% visa-free travel rate within the bloc.
To ease some disruptions, the Alliance of Sahel States, formed by the three nations, has since introduced visa-free travel and residency rights for ECOWAS citizens.
Burkina Faso now aligns with Ghana, Rwanda, and Kenya in easing entry for Africans, supporting the African Union’s drive for deeper integration. A statement from the junta’s information service noted that the policy “for African nationals will also help promote tourism and Burkinabe culture, and improve Burkina Faso’s visibility abroad.”
As of 2024, only four African countries — Benin, Rwanda, Seychelles, and The Gambia — offered full visa-free access to all Africans, up from three the previous year. Burkina Faso’s move brings the total to five, a step forward in the African Visa Openness Index, where 28% of intra-African travel now occurs visa-free, compared to 20% in 2016.
Overall, 42 African countries provide visa-free entry to citizens from at least five other African nations, while 33 extend it to at least 10.
The policy builds on the African Union’s 2018 Protocol to the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community Relating to Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence, and Right of Establishment. This protocol outlines three phases: the right of entry without visas, the right of residence, and the right of establishment. So far, only four countries — Rwanda, Niger, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Mali — have fully ratified it, despite 30 signing in 2018.
The protocol ties into Agenda 2063, aiming for a single African market and free movement to drive trade, which currently stands at just 18% intra-continental, far below Europe’s 70%.
A draft continental strategy, developed by the AU and Regional Economic Communities, seeks to harmonize laws and promote the African Passport, launched in 2016, to speed up implementation. By 2024, 26 countries — 44% of the continent — offered e-visas to Africans, up from nine in 2016.
Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who took power in a 2022 coup, positioned himself as a Pan-Africanist leader opposing colonial influences and Western dominance. His approach has gained traction on social media across Africa, where platforms like TikTok and X amplify his image through pro-junta campaigns, often backed by foreign actors like Russia.
Traoré’s government has deepened security ties with Russia, including Wagner Group involvement, after ending French partnerships.
These shifts occur as Burkina Faso grapples with a decade-long fight against Islamist insurgents, with nearly 40% of its territory outside state control. The insurgency, spilling over from Mali since 2015, involves groups like Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), affiliated with al-Qaeda, and Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP).
In 2025, attacks have intensified, with JNIM launching daily assaults, causing record casualties and equipment losses. Key incidents include the May 11 takeover of Djibo, where insurgents looted military sites and held the town for nine hours, and strikes on bases in Diapaga, Foutouri, Lanfiera, Solenzo, Sollé, Thiou, and Yamba.
On September 26, 11 soldiers died, and 50 civilians went missing in a jihadist raid near Djibo. The Sahel now accounts for nearly half of global terrorism deaths, with over 20,000 killed in Burkina Faso since 2015, displacing 2 million people.
Counterterrorism efforts, including the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland militias, have led to abuses, such as the March 2025 massacre of over 130 Fulani civilians in Boucle du Mouhoun by security forces and allies, amounting to war crimes. JNIM and ISSP exploit ethnic tensions for recruitment, targeting schools and civilians.
The ECOWAS exit has further strained security cooperation, as the bloc previously aided anti-jihadist efforts. Despite junta promises of stability, frequent attacks on civilians and troops continue, complicating the visa policy’s goals of promoting tourism and trade in a landlocked nation reliant on regional ties.
