Two West African countries have simultaneously imposed bans on US citizens in a diplomatic row, amid heightened tensions with both the United States and Europe, and as Russia seeks to increase its economic and geopolitical influence in the region.
Dozens of Wagner troops were massacred in Mali after an ambush by Tuareg rebels on July 27, 2024. (East2West)
Mali and Burkina Faso took this step in response to the Trump administration’s Dec. 16 expansion of travel restrictions to more than 20 countries. The policy mainly affected the African continent, with Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Niger, the Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan also subject to travel restrictions.
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The Trump administration cited the ongoing armed attacks in both countries as part of the reason for its decision:
“According to the Department of State, terrorist organizations continue to plan and carry out terrorist activities throughout Burkina Faso. According to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Fiscal Year 2024 Entry/Exit Overstay Report, Burkina Faso had a B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 9.16 percent and a visa overstay rate for students (F), vocational training (M), and exchange visitors (J) of 22.95 percent. Furthermore, Burkina Faso has historically refused to take back its removable nationals.”
Regarding its decision to list Mali, it stated:
“According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, armed conflicts between the Malian government and armed groups occur throughout the country. Terrorist organizations operate freely in certain areas of Mali.”
Burkina Faso and Mali are both currently ruled by military juntas that came to power amid rising violence and instability as both countries came under attack by Islamist terrorist groups.
On March 1, 2023, a mural can be seen in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Armed forces in Burkina Faso have killed 223 civilians, including babies and many children, in attacks on two villages accused of collaborating with militants, Human Rights Watch said in a report published Thursday, April 24, 2024. (AP photo, file)
Both countries have also seen a rise in anti-French sentiment, along with deepening relations with Russia, which has promised to help fight back Islamist rebels battling central governments for territorial control.
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“In accordance with the principle of reciprocity, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation informs the national and international community that the Government of the Republic of Mali will apply with immediate effect to US citizens the same conditions and requirements as those imposed on Malian citizens,” the Malian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Malian soldiers check a vehicle in the garrison town of Kati, Mali, on Tuesday, August 18, 2020. Malian soldiers took up arms and began detaining senior military officers in an apparent mutiny, raising fears of a possible coup after several months of anti-government demonstrations calling for the president’s resignation. (AP Photo/Mohamed Salaha)
The government of Burkina Faso cited a similar reason for issuing the ban on American travelers.
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Both countries, as well as neighbors Niger and Nigeria, have seen skyrocketing violence in recent years as chronically underfunded governments struggle to maintain control over rural, sparsely populated desert areas.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
