Burkina Faso has announced a visa-free entry policy for all African travellers, in a move aimed at facilitating the free movement of people and goods across the continent.
“From now on, any citizen from an African country wishing to go to Burkina Faso will not pay any amount to cover visa fees,” Security Minister Mahamadou Sana said after a cabinet meeting chaired by military leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré on Thursday.
While the visa fee has been scrapped, African visitors will still be required to submit an online visa application for approval, the minister clarified.
The decision places Burkina Faso alongside countries such as Ghana, Rwanda, and Kenya, which in recent years have eased travel restrictions to foster African integration.
The junta’s information service said the move was part of efforts to strengthen Pan-Africanist ideals, promote tourism, and showcase Burkinabe culture abroad.
“This free visa system for African nationals will also help promote tourism and Burkinabe culture, and improve Burkina Faso’s visibility abroad,” the statement noted.
Captain Traoré, who seized power in a 2022 coup, has built a reputation as a Pan-Africanist leader, frequently criticising Western influence and colonial legacies while championing continental unity.
His popularity, especially among African youth, has been amplified on social media, though often fuelled by misleading content portraying him as a revolutionary figure.
Despite his appeal, Traoré has faced criticism for authoritarian tendencies, curbs on dissent, and his administration’s struggle to contain the Islamist insurgency that continues to destabilise Burkina Faso.
The announcement also comes at a time when Burkina Faso, alongside fellow military-led states Mali and Niger, has withdrawn from the West African regional bloc ECOWAS and formed a new alliance. The three states have severed ties with France and pivoted toward closer cooperation with Russia.
It remains to be seen whether the visa-free policy will improve relations with neighbouring states, but it reflects broader African Union (AU) efforts to ease travel within the continent.
