Mali, Burkina Faso Impose Reciprocal Travel Ban on US Citizens After Washington’s Restrictions

Mali and Burkina Faso have announced a travel ban on United States citizens in a tit-for-tat response to restrictions imposed by the US government on their nationals.

The move follows a December 16 decision by the White House to place Mali, Burkina Faso and five other countries on a list facing a full travel ban from January 1, citing what it described as “severe deficiencies in screening, vetting and information sharing.”

According to Washington, the identified gaps pose national security and public safety threats to the United States.
Reacting to the decision, Malian authorities said the US action was taken without prior consultation and rejected the justification offered by Washington.

“The decision by the United States was taken without prior consultation with Mali,” the Malian government said, adding that “the stated rationale is not justified by actual developments on the ground.”

Burkina Faso also aligned with Mali’s position, confirming the imposition of a reciprocal travel ban on US citizens as a matter of diplomatic parity.

The White House, in announcing the restrictions, maintained that the affected countries failed to meet required standards for identity management, information sharing and security cooperation, stressing that the measures were necessary to protect Americans.

The latest exchange marks a fresh diplomatic rift between Washington and the two Sahelian states, both of which have experienced strained relations with Western governments in recent years amid political transitions and shifting foreign alliances.