Captain Ibrahim Traore
Source: Africa Publicity
West African nation, Burkina Faso, has removed visa barriers for all Africans. The country on Thursday, September 11, 2025, announced that a citizen from any African country can now enter its territory without a visa.
The decision was taken at Burkina Faso’s Council of Ministers meeting presided over by President Captain Ibrahim Traore, Burkina Faso’s Presidency said in a statement.
Burkina Faso’s Minister of Communication, Culture, Arts and Tourism, Government Spokesperson, Pingdwendé Gilbert Ouedraogo, said the Council has reviewed several cases, adopted reports and taken important decisions for the nation’s progress.
On behalf of the Ministry of Security, the Council has adopted an additional report to the Rectifical Finance Act for the execution of the fiscal 2025 budget relating to the institution of visa-free for the benefit of nationals of African countries. According to the Minister of Security, the Divisional Commissioner of Police, Mahamadou SANA, with this report and in accordance with the pan-African vision of the Head of State, Burkina Faso reaffirms its willingness to strengthen the historical ties of brotherhood between African peoples.
“From now on, any citizen from an African country wishing to go to Burkina Faso will not pay any amount to cover their visa fees,” says the minister, who clarifies that free does not mean visa exemption. The adoption of this decree aims, on the one hand, to strengthen the free movement of the African people and their goods in the Burkinabe territory and on the other hand, African integration, according to the Minister SANA.
Public holidays could result in a shortage of potential earnings of more than 67.5 billion FCFA
As the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Protection, the Council has adopted a bill establishing unemployed and paid days and commemoration and collection days.
According to the Minister of Public Service of Labor and Social Protection, Mathias TRAORÉ, the annual working time owed by the public servant is 214 days (58.63% of the 365 days of the year) due to public holidays, legal holidays falling on a Sunday and weekends. A study by the Ministry of Economy and Finance has found that lost working time could cost more than FCFA 67.5 billion in the annual state budget for 2025.
Minister Mathias TRAORÉ supports that the adoption of this bill allows “to adjust the time devoted to work in public and private administrations to support the reforms that compete with the implementation” of the vision of the Head of State.
The second report has the recall of public agents for falsifying diplomas on the occasion of their recruitment or promotion in the public service. At this point, Minister Mathias TRAORÉ notes that the Council has sacked four public officials.
On behalf of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, in charge of Institutional Relations, the Council has adopted three decrees defining the suit of the President and Constitutional Council members during hearings, setting out the characteristics and conditions for wearing the suit of the hearing of the staff of the body of clerks and magistrates of higher courts.
According to Minister Edasso Rodrigue BAYALA, justice is working to be closer to our socio-cultural realities, in line with the vision of Faso President, Captain Ibrahim TRAORÉ. The costumes of the President and members of the Constitutional Council, magistrates and clerks of higher courts will now be made from Burkinabe cotton, which will support the local economy.