Mali and Burkina Faso have announced travel restrictions on American nationals in response to the United States’ recent inclusion of both countries on a no-entry list.
In separate statements issued by their foreign ministries and seen by AFP on Wednesday, both nations said they were imposing “equivalent measures” on US citizens.
The move follows President Donald Trump’s expansion of a travel ban this month, which now covers nearly 40 countries based solely on nationality.
The US list includes Syrian citizens, Palestinian Authority passport holders, and nationals from some of Africa’s poorest countries, including Niger, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan.
The White House stated that the ban targets foreigners who “intend to threaten” Americans.
Burkina Faso’s foreign ministry confirmed it would enforce “equivalent visa measures” on Americans, while Mali announced that, “with immediate effect,” it would apply “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 United States made such a significant decision “without the slightest prior consultation.”
Both Mali and Burkina Faso are governed by military juntas and are members of a regional confederation that includes Niger.
Although Niger has not officially announced countermeasures, its news agency reported last week, citing a diplomatic source, that such measures had been decided.
Trump’s December 17 announcement also imposed partial travel restrictions on citizens of other African nations, including Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and Senegal—countries that qualified for the upcoming football World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico