Mahamadou Sana, the security minister, made the announcement on Thursday after a cabinet meeting chaired by military leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré.

He explained that while visas will remain mandatory, applications will be processed online at no cost to African travellers.

With this decision, Burkina Faso joins a growing list of African nations, including Ghana, Rwanda, and Kenya, that have eased entry requirements to encourage free movement across the continent.

Captain Traoré, who came to power in a 2022 coup, has consistently projected himself as a defender of Pan-Africanism while maintaining a critical stance toward the West and former colonial powers.

His popularity has soared among some Africans, thanks in part to social media, though he has also faced criticism for his authoritarian governance style and his handling of the country’s jihadist insurgency.

Like its Sahel neighbours Mali and Niger, Burkina Faso continues to grapple with Islamist violence, with nearly 40% of its territory estimated to be under militant control.

Despite promises of improved security and closer ties with Russia, deadly attacks remain frequent.

The government says the removal of visa fees demonstrates its commitment to Pan-African ideals, and will also boost tourism, promote Burkinabe culture, and enhance the country’s international profile.

This comes as part of a wider African Union campaign to ease movement across the continent. Earlier this year, Ghana granted visa-free access to all African passport holders, while Kenya and Rwanda have also implemented policies to simplify cross-border travel.

Burkina Faso’s decision, however, is unfolding against the backdrop of strained relations with its West African neighbours.

Alongside Mali and Niger, the country has withdrawn from the regional bloc Ecowas and deepened ties with Russia, distancing itself from France, its former colonial ruler.

With the move, Burkina Faso has further solidified its break from the ECOWAS regional bloc.

In January, 2024, the West Af­rican nations of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso had announced that they were leaving the re­gional bloc of ECOWAS, which had pressurised them to return to democratic rule.

The junta leaders of the three Sahel nations had in a joint statement stated “sovereign decision” to leave the ECOWAS “without delay,” because the bloc, they said, had imposed “inhumane” sanctions against their countries.

The three countries had accused ECOWAS of having “moved away from the ideals of its founding fathers and Pan-Af­ricanism” after nearly 50 years of its establishment and accused the bloc of being “under the in­fluence of foreign powers.”

ECOWAS had suspended the three countries as a result of military coups that overthrew their democratically elected gov­ernments.

The coups took place in Ni­ger in July 2023, in Burkina Faso in 2022 and in Mali in 2020 and 2021.

Thereafter, the three coun­tries formed a defence pact called the Alliance of Sahel States which commits each to come to the other’s aid in defence of its territorial integrity, from internal and external ag­gression.

They were equally said to have cut military and cooper­ation ties with former colonial power, France, and turned to Russia for security support.

In a statement on Friday, signed by Dr. Omoniyi Ibietan, secretary-general, APRA, the body said it is greatly concerned about the increasing terror attacks in Burkina Faso and in other parts of Africa.

“The umbrella body of practitioners and  professionals of  public relations in  Africa hereby calls for the cessation of all forms of attacks, especially on unarmed people. We call for dialogue as a more civil approach to resolving conflicts instead of violent attacks leading to destruction and catastrophic outcomes that leave the continent more devastated.

“We  are  gravely disturbed by  this recent attack in  Burkina Faso, coming on  the  heels of  the  death of over 500 persons due to mpox scourge caused by the monkeypox  virus  ravaging  the  Democratic Republic of  Congo, DRC, the hotbed of  the health crisis; and the distressing floods caused by  the collapse of the Arba’ at Dam in the east of the Republic of Sudan, destroying or impacting about 70 communities and affecting telecommunication infrastructure and other utilities. These and many emergent humanitarian crises in Africa have been overwhelming enough for a great but challenged continent. Therefore, entrenched terror attacks can only worsen efforts at restoring the glory of the continent.

“As a body of communication managers, APRA iterates its call for increased, sincere and responsible conversation and concrete actions among state actors and other stakeholders in  Africa  to  address these and future challenges, many of which are heralded by warning signs.

“Therefore, APRA calls on the World Health Organisation (WHO) to resume strengthening collaboration with  the  government  and people of DRC because mpox is yet to be defeated as an existential global health issue.

He said that APRA stands in solidarity with the Governments and people of Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Sudan.

“We  commiserate with those who have lost family members and friends. We also wish those injured and displaced speedy recovery”, the statement reads.