Mali and Burkina Faso announce reciprocal travel ban on US citizens

Mali and Burkina Faso have announced reciprocal travel bans on US citizens in response to a similar measure imposed by the United States earlier this month.

In separate statements newly released , the foreign ministries of both West African countries said the decision was taken in the spirit of “reciprocity” after the White House announced on December 16 that US President Donald Trump had added them, along with five other countries, to a list subject to a full travel ban.

According to the White House, the expanded ban, which is set to take effect on January 1, applies to countries deemed to have “persistent and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting and information-sharing” that could pose national security and public safety risks.

Mali criticised Washington’s decision, stating that it was taken without prior consultation and argued that the justification for the ban was not supported by realities on the ground.

Mali and Burkina Faso are not the first countries to respond with countermeasures after being affected by US travel restrictions. On December 25, neighbouring Niger announced it would stop issuing visas to US citizens, according to state media, citing a diplomatic source.

Earlier in June, Chad also suspended visa issuance to US citizens after it was included on a previous list of countries affected by similar travel restrictions.

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