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West African countries, Mali and Burkina Faso, have announced a ban on US citizens traveling to their nations in response to the US decision to include them in its list of countries subject to a travel ban. The move is a retaliation to US President Donald Trump’s decision to add these countries to the list of nations with inadequate screening, verification, and data exchange systems, posing a threat to US national security and public safety.
The foreign ministries of both countries issued separate statements on Tuesday, stating that the decision was taken under the principle of mutual response. The White House announced on December 16 that Trump would add Mali, Burkina Faso, and five other countries to the list of nations subject to a complete travel ban, which would take effect on January 1.
According to US officials, the ban is aimed at countries with serious and continuous shortcomings in their screening, verification, and data exchange systems, which are deemed a threat to US national security and public safety. Mali’s government stated that they were not consulted before the decision and that the US position does not align with the ground realities.
Burkina Faso also termed the US action as unilateral. It is worth noting that other countries in the region have taken similar measures in response to US travel bans. Niger banned the issuance of visas to US citizens on December 25, while Chad suspended visa issuance for US citizens in June after being added to the US list of countries subject to a travel ban.
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