Mali, Burkina and Niger to launch new biometric passports

FILE - Interim President of the Republic of Mali, Assimi Goita, arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport ahead of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing, China, Sep. 1, 2024.

Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger will soon launch new biometric passports, Mali's military leader Colonel Assimi Goita said Sunday, as the junta-led states look to solidify their alliance after splitting from regional bloc ECOWAS.