Burkina Faso says it has removed visa fees for all African travellers, in an effort to facilitate the movement of people and goods into the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFrom now on, any citizen from an African country wishing to go to Burkina Faso will not pay any amount to cover visa fees,\u201d said Mahamadou Sana, the country\u2019s security minister, following a cabinet meeting chaired by military leader Capt Ibrahim Traor\u00e9 on Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
African visitors will however be required to submit an online visa application, which will be reviewed for approval, the minister clarified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The West African nation joins countries such as Ghana, Rwanda and Kenya, which have eased travel requirements for African visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Citizens of West African countries can already travel to Burkina Faso without the need for visas, however this may change in the future because the country has pulled out of the regional bloc, Ecowas, along with its neighbours, Mali and Niger which are also under military rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Capt Traor\u00e9, a young soldier who seized power in a 2022 coup, portrays himself as a champion of Pan-Africanism, while often criticising the West and colonialism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is admired in the continent for his charismatic leadership. His popularity has been fuelled through social media, including many misleading posts intended to bolster his revolutionary image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Capt Traor\u00e9 has also faced criticism for his authoritarian style of governance, his handling of dissent and the ongoing Islamist insurgency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The region with more \u2018terror deaths\u2019 than rest of world combined
Like its Sahel neighbours, Burkina Faso has been battling armed jihadist groups, with an estimated 40% of the country under their control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite promises by Capt Traor\u00e9\u2019s military government to improve security and seeking new partnerships with Russia, the situation remains dire with frequent attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The scrapping of visa fees for the continent\u2019s nationals reflects Burkina Faso\u2019s attachment to Pan-Africanist ideals and promotes regional integration, a statement from the junta\u2019s information service said late on Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis free visa system for African nationals will also help promote tourism and Burkinabe culture, and improve Burkina Faso\u2019s visibility abroad,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several African countries have tried to ease travel requirements for visitors from elsewhere on the continent in recent years, with studies showing it is often easier for citizens of Western countries to visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The move to facilitate travel within the continent is also being pushed by the African Union (AU).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Earlier this year, Ghana said all African passport holders would now be able to visit without needing a visa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last year, Kenya introduced a \u201cvisa-free\u201d policy that required most visitors to apply online for authorisation before leaving their country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
African visitors to Rwanda also do not need a visa to enter the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From: BBC &\u00a0ALL AFRICA.COM<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Burkina Faso says it has removed visa fees for all African travellers, in an effort to facilitate the movement of people and goods into the country. \u201cFrom now on, any citizen from an African country wishing to go to Burkina Faso will not pay any amount to cover visa fees,\u201d said Mahamadou Sana, the country\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8864,"featured_media":40654,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_paywall_metabox":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[98,469,161],"tags":[7211,109],"class_list":["post-40653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-travel","category-world","tag-burkina-faso","tag-news"],"yoast_head":"\n