Mali and Burkina Faso Impose Reciprocal Travel Restrictions on US Nationals

Mali and Burkina Faso have announced travel restrictions targeting American citizens in response to the United States placing both countries on a no-entry list.

In separate statements from their foreign ministries, seen Wednesday by AFP, the two nations said they are implementing “equivalent measures” on US nationals following President Donald Trump’s expansion of the travel ban to nearly 40 countries this month, based solely on nationality.

The US list includes Syrian citizens, Palestinian Authority passport holders, and nationals from several of Africa’s poorest countries, such as Niger, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan. The White House stated that the ban applies to foreigners who “intend to threaten” Americans.

Burkina Faso’s foreign ministry confirmed it would enforce “equivalent visa measures” for Americans, while Mali declared that, “with immediate effect,” it would impose “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 the US made the decision “without the slightest prior consultation.”

Both Mali and Burkina Faso are run by military juntas and are members of a sub-Saharan confederation that includes Niger. While Niger has not officially announced any countermeasures, its news agency reported that such actions had been decided.

Trump’s December 17 announcement also included partial travel restrictions on citizens of other African nations, including Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and Senegal—countries that qualified for the upcoming football World Cup to be hosted in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

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