TIT-FOR-TAT: Mali, Burkina Faso ban entry for US citizens after Trump travel bans
With agencies
The ministry noted that the security justification cited by US “contradicts the real developments on the ground” and suggested that the motivation for the action lies elsewhere.
Mali and Burkina Faso have announced reciprocal travel restrictions on United States nationals.
The two West African states were recently placed under full entry restrictions under US President Donald Trump’s expanded travel ban.
In separate letters shared late on Tuesday, both countries emphasised that the new measures were aimed at applying the same rules to Americans travelling to their countries as their citizens face when travelling to the US.
Mali’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation expressed regret that the decision was taken without prior consultation.
The ministry noted that the security justification cited by US “contradicts the real developments on the ground” and suggested that the motivation for the action lies elsewhere.
“In application of the principle of reciprocity, the government of the Republic of Mali will apply, with immediate effect, to American nationals the same conditions and requirements as those imposed on Malian citizens,” the statement reads.
Similarly, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré, Burkina Faso’s minister of foreign affairs, said his country would apply equivalent visa measures to US nationals.
“The government of Burkina Faso has taken note of the decision announced on December 16, 2025, by the authorities of the United States of America regarding the strengthening of entry restrictions on their territory,” Traoré said.
He described the move by the US as inconsistent with the principles of sovereign equality and mutual respect.
The US decision is part of a broader immigration policy announced by the White House under Trump, which permanently restricts or suspends visa issuance and entry for nationals of several countries.
According to the White House, the measures are in the interest of US national security, while raising concerns over identity-management systems, information-sharing gaps, and visa overstay rates in affected countries.
The expanded policy, which takes effect from January 1, 2026, places Mali and Burkina Faso among more than 20 countries facing full or partial entry bans into the United States.
Together with Niger, which was also included in the list of new countries banned by the US, Mali and Burkina Faso have recently sought to distance themselves from Western countries while working together in a new grouping known as the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
All three countries are led by military leaders who have forged closer ties with Russia in recent years, while kicking out French and US soldiers previously stationed there.
What do you think the standoff could mean for Americans, regional diplomacy, and the future of US influence in West Africa? Share your views in the comment section.
