Mali's borders with Burkina Faso and Niger

Travel documents inside the AES

Sidwaya reported in January 2026 that the AES passport went into circulation on 29 January 2025 ². It meets International Civil Aviation Organization requirements and comes in green for ordinary, blue for service and red for diplomatic passports ². It has an electronic chip and a polycarbonate data page for automatic reading at borders ². Older passports stay valid until they expire, according to Burkina Faso's Office national d'identification as cited in the report ².

An AES biometric identity card, the CIB-AES, went into circulation in Burkina Faso on 1 December 2025 ². In Burkina Faso it costs 3,500 F CFA, is valid for 10 years and is mandatory from age 13, according to the same report ². This guide did not find an official Malian notice giving the date and fee for the card in Mali.

The Labbezanga post on the Gao to Niamey axis

APA reported on 5 May 2026 that the Labbezanga post, which it describes as a pivot of the Gao to Niamey axis in the three borders zone, had been retaken by the Malian armed forces after several days of operations ³. The operation used airstrikes, ground sweeps and drones, with coordination with Niger's forces ³.

According to APA, several hundred vehicles used the post each day before the fighting, but rackets and ambushes had paralysed trade ³. It cited attacks in April 2023, December 2023 and November 2024 ³. It said regular forces now escort civilian and commercial convoys ³. The status is as reported by APA on that date. This guide found no later official notice on traffic at the post.

ECOWAS rules that still apply

On 29 January 2025 the ECOWAS Commission asked authorities in its member states to keep recognising passports and ID cards with the ECOWAS logo held by citizens of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, until further notice ¹. It said those citizens keep visa-free movement, residence and establishment rights under ECOWAS protocols for now ¹.

The AES heads of state adopted a declaration in December 2024 allowing ECOWAS nationals to enter AES states without a visa, as reported by Sidwaya ⁹. Each state keeps the right to refuse entry to people it deems inadmissible ⁹.

Official advisories

The UK says attacks on roads are increasing in Mali, particularly in northern and eastern Mali and near border areas ¹⁰. Canada says its ability to provide consular services in Niger is limited ⁷.