Mali and Burkina Faso have announced reciprocal restrictions on U.S. travelers, responding to a recent decision by the United States to impose a comprehensive travel ban on their citizens.
The foreign ministries of Mali and Burkina Faso issued separate statements late Tuesday confirming the measures.
Both governments said the action was based on the principle of reciprocity after the U.S. administration added them to a list of countries facing a full travel ban.
The U.S. decision, announced on December 16, is scheduled to take effect on January 1 and applies to seven countries in total.
The White House said the ban targets countries with what it described as “persistent and severe deficiencies” in security screening, vetting, and information-sharing, which it claims pose risks to U.S. national security and public safety.
Mali’s government said it was not consulted before the U.S. announcement.
Officials rejected Washington’s justification, arguing that the security concerns cited do not reflect current realities on the ground.
Bamako described the move as unjustified and diplomatically unfriendly.
Mali and Burkina Faso are not alone in retaliating against U.S. travel measures:
On December 25, Niger announced it would suspend visa issuance to U.S. citizens, according to state media citing a diplomatic source.
Earlier, in June, Chad halted visa processing for Americans after it was included on a previous U.S. travel ban list affecting 12 countries.
The tit-for-tat restrictions highlight growing diplomatic tensions between Washington and several West African governments.
Analysts note that such measures could affect business travel, diplomatic engagement, humanitarian work, and people-to-people exchanges, even as governments on both sides defend their actions as necessary and lawful.
Neither Mali nor Burkina Faso specified how long the restrictions on U.S. citizens will remain in place.
Both countries indicated the measures could be reviewed if the U.S. revises or lifts its own travel ban.
Source: Africa Publicity
