The West African nations say the bans are equal to these imposed on their residents by the US.
Printed On 31 Dec 2025
Mali and Burkina Faso have introduced their plan to use reciprocal visa bans to residents of the US, weeks after President Donald Trump included the West African nations in an expanded journey ban record.
In separate letters shared late on Tuesday, each nations emphasised that the brand new measures have been geared toward making use of the identical guidelines to People travelling to their nations as their residents face when travelling to the US.
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Mali’s Ministry of Overseas Affairs and Worldwide Cooperation stated US residents travelling to the nation would expertise “the identical situations and necessities as these imposed by the American authorities on Malian residents coming into the US”.
It added that the adjustments have been being launched as “a matter of reciprocity and with rapid impact”.
Burkina Faso stated it was making use of “equal visa measures to residents of the US of America” and emphasised that it “stays dedicated to mutual respect, the sovereign equality of States, and the precept of reciprocity in its worldwide relations”.
The bulletins got here after Trump stated on December 16 he was including seven extra nations, in addition to the holders of Palestinian Authority paperwork, to a listing of nations whose nationals have been “totally” restricted and restricted from coming into the US.
Burkina Faso and Mali have been among the many nations added to the record, all of which have been both Arab or African nations.
Trump stated on the time that the adjustments have been being launched to satisfy US “international coverage, nationwide safety, and counterterrorism targets”.
A piece explaining the explanations for the ban on nationals from Burkina Faso stated the US Division of State had discovered “terrorist organisations proceed to plan and conduct terrorist actions all through Burkina Faso”.
It additionally cited visa overstays and a historic refusal to “settle for again” nationals deported from the US.
In relation to Mali, Trump’s announcement stated the State Division had discovered “armed battle between the Malian authorities and armed teams is frequent all through the nation and that “terrorist organisations function freely in sure areas of Mali”.
In whole, the brand new additions introduced the overall to 19 nations plus Palestine, the nations banned below Trump, who additionally launched comparable journey bans throughout his first presidency.
Along with Niger, which was additionally included within the record of latest nations banned by the US in mid-December, Mali and Burkina Faso have not too long ago sought to distance themselves from Western nations whereas working collectively in a brand new grouping often called the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
All three nations are led by navy leaders who’ve solid nearer ties with Russia in recent times, whereas kicking out French and US troopers beforehand stationed there.
Mali has welcomed Russian forces, together with about 1,500 personnel from the Wagner mercenary group and roughly 1,000 fighters from the Kremlin-controlled paramilitary group Africa Corps.
At a current Sahel summit in Bamako, Mali, the three nations introduced the launch of a joint navy battalion geared toward preventing armed teams throughout the area.
Nevertheless, they’ve struggled to enhance the safety state of affairs at house amid rising assaults from separatist teams in addition to armed teams linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS).
