Burkina Faso offers visa-free entry to all African nations
Burkina Faso has adopted a visa-free entry policy for all African travelers, with the objective of facilitating the free movement of people and goods across the continent.
“Effective immediately, any African citizen wishing to travel to Burkina Faso will not be required to pay visa fees,” Security Minister Mahamadou Sana announced after a cabinet meeting chaired by military leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré on Thursday.
Although the visa fee has been waived, African visitors will still be required to submit an online visa application for approval, as clarified by the minister.
This decision positions Burkina Faso alongside countries such as Ghana, Rwanda, and Kenya, which have recently relaxed 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 rose to power through a 2022 coup, has earned a reputation as a Pan-Africanist leader, consistently criticizing Western influence and colonial legacies while promoting continental unity.
His popularity, especially among African youth, has been magnified on social media, though often driven by misleading content depicting 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 destabilize 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The announcement also comes at a time when Burkina Faso, alongside fellow military-led states Mali and Niger, has withdrawn from the West African regional bloc ECOWAS and formed a new alliance.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 neighboring states, but it reflects broader African Union (AU) efforts to ease travel within the continent.
