Mali and Burkina Faso have announced travel restrictions on American nationals in a tit-for-tat response to the United States’ decision to place both countries on a no-entry list. The move follows the expansion of a US travel ban to nearly 40 countries earlier this month, based solely on nationality.
In separate statements issued by the foreign ministries of Mali and Burkina Faso and seen by AFP on Wednesday, both governments said they were imposing “equivalent measures” on US citizens. The announcements come after US President Donald Trump broadened the scope of travel restrictions, which now affect nationals from several regions, including the Middle East and Africa.
The expanded US list includes Syrian nationals, Palestinian Authority passport holders, and citizens of some of Africa’s poorest countries, such as Niger, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan. The White House has said the ban targets foreigners who “intend to threaten” Americans.
Burkina Faso’s foreign ministry said it would apply “equivalent visa measures” to US nationals. Mali, meanwhile, said it was implementing, with immediate effect, “the same conditions and requirements on American nationals that the American authorities have imposed on Malian citizens entering the United States.” Mali also expressed regret that Washington had taken “such an important decision without the slightest prior consultation.”
Military juntas govern both Mali and Burkina Faso and are members of a regional confederation that also includes Niger. While Niger has not officially announced any countermeasures, the country’s national news agency reported last week, citing a diplomatic source, that reciprocal steps had been decided.
In his December 17 announcement, President Trump also imposed partial travel restrictions on citizens of other African nations, including Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, as well as Ivory Coast and Senegal. Senegal and Ivory Coast have both qualified for the football World Cup scheduled to be held next year in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The developments underscore rising diplomatic tensions and growing concerns among affected countries over unilateral travel policies.
