The two West African nations were recently placed under full entry restrictions under President Donald Trump’s expanded travel ban. In statements and reported byBBC, both countries said they would apply the same measures to US nationals. Burkina Faso’s Foreign Affairs Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré said the government was acting on the “principle of reciprocity,” while Mali’s foreign ministry cited “mutual respect and sovereign equality” as the basis for its decision.
Mali’s ministry also expressed regret over the US move, noting that “such an important decision was made without any prior consultation.” The announcements follow a similar travel ban on US citizens by neighbouring Niger. The three states are all ruled by military juntas that seized power in recent coups. They have formed their own regional bloc and shifted their foreign relations toward Russia after tensions with other West African countries and Western powers.
Earlier this month, the White House said full-entry restrictions would also apply to citizens from South Sudan, Syria, and Palestinian Authority passport holders, taking effect on 1 January. In addition, Laos and Sierra Leone, previously under partial restrictions, were moved to the full-entry ban list, while partial restrictions were imposed on 15 other countries, including Nigeria, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Mali and Burkina Faso’s reciprocal bans signal rising tensions between the US and several West African nations, reflecting broader geopolitical shifts in the region. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.
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