Mali and Burkina Faso have announced that they will ban US citizens from entering their countries, in retaliation for a decision by Donald Trump to block Malian and Burkinabe nationals from travelling to the United States.
The announcements were made on Tuesday in separate statements issued by the foreign ministries of the two west African nations, marking a further deterioration in relations between military-led governments in the region and Washington.
On 16 December, Trump expanded existing US travel restrictions to include 20 additional countries, among them Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. All three are governed by military juntas and have withdrawn from the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) to form a breakaway alliance.
In a statement, Mali’s ministry of foreign affairs said the move was based on reciprocity.
“In accordance with the principle of reciprocity, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation informs the national and international community that, with immediate effect, the Government of the Republic of Mali will apply the same conditions and requirements to US nationals as those imposed on Malian citizens,” the statement said.
Burkina Faso issued a similar declaration. A statement signed by its foreign minister, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré, said the ban on US citizens was justified by the same reasoning.
The White House has cited persistent attacks by armed groups as one of the reasons for imposing the expanded travel ban on the west African states.
The latest restrictions form part of a broader tightening of US immigration policy following the shooting of two members of the national guard in Washington DC on 26 November, an incident the Trump administration has pointed to as justification for tougher controls.
Announcing the measures earlier this month, US officials said the restrictions were “necessary to prevent the entry of foreign nationals about whom the United States lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose”.
They added that it was the president’s responsibility to ensure that those entering the country did not threaten public safety.
Mali and Burkina Faso have both struggled for years to contain armed groups that have expanded their operations across large parts of the Sahel.
The military leaders who seized power in both countries pledged to restore security after overthrowing civilian governments, citing worsening violence and instability across the region.
