Burkina Faso scraps visa fees for African travellers
Story by Jessica Mbamah
Burkina Faso has announced it is removing visa fees for all African travellers to boost the movement of people and goods.
“From now on, any citizen from an African country wishing to go to Burkina Faso will not pay any amount to cover visa fees,” said Security Minister Mahamadou Sana after a cabinet meeting chaired by military leader Capt Ibrahim Traoré on Thursday.
Sana clarified that visitors must still submit an online visa application for approval.
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The West African nation joins Ghana, Rwanda and Kenya in easing entry for African visitors. Citizens of West African countries already enjoy visa-free travel to Burkina Faso, though this could change as the country recently withdrew from the regional bloc Ecowas along with Mali and Niger.
A statement from the junta’s information service said the measure reflects Burkina Faso’s commitment to Pan-Africanism and will “help promote tourism and Burkinabe culture, and improve Burkina Faso’s visibility abroad.”
Capt Traoré, who came to power in a 2022 coup, has positioned himself as a Pan-Africanist figure but faces criticism over his authoritarian rule and failure to stem a worsening Islamist insurgency.
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