Côte d’Ivoire scraps Mali, Burkina customs visas as Sahel bloc reshapes trade routes

In a circular issued on March 31, 2026, Director General of Customs, General Da Pierre A., said the decision follows the deployment of digital transit systems that now ensure secure and transparent monitoring of goods bound for Mali and Burkina Faso.

The directive, circulated widely across customs services and trade stakeholders, formally abolishes a long-standing administrative requirement that mandated approvals from foreign customs offices before goods could be cleared for transit.

According to the customs authority, the shift is anchored on the successful implementation of the T1 Transit Management Module with Mali and the Interconnected Transit Goods Management System (SIGMAT) with Burkina Faso.

The reform also comes at a time of deepening geopolitical shifts in West Africa, particularly following the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States by Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger after their withdrawal from ECOWAS.

The AES bloc has pledged to dismantle trade bottlenecks among its members and reduce reliance on coastal intermediaries, including plans to eliminate what it describes as “blockade-style” restrictions on the movement of goods within the Sahel.

Abidjan’s latest move could therefore be seen as both a pragmatic economic adjustment and a strategic effort to retain its role as a key transit hub amid shifting regional dynamics.

With the visa requirement removed, licensed customs brokers are now authorised to submit declarations directly to the competent Ivorian customs offices, a step expected to significantly cut delays and improve trade efficiency.

The policy highlights Côte d’Ivoire’s push to modernise its logistics framework while adapting to a rapidly evolving regional trade order.