Mali and Burkina Faso announce tit-for-tat travel bans on U.S. citizens


Mali and Burkina Faso said they would ban U.S. citizens from entering their countries in response to similar moves by the Trump administration.

The two West African countries have recently been subject to sweeping entry restrictions U.S. President Donald Trump expands travel ban.

In a separate statement, they said the same measures would be taken against U.S. nationals.

Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré said his government was acting in accordance with the “principle of reciprocity,” while Mali’s foreign ministry called for “mutual respect and sovereign equality.”

The latter said it regretted the U.S. move, adding that “such an important decision was taken without any prior consultation.”

The decision by Mali and Burkina Faso comes days after neighboring Niger announced a similar travel ban on U.S. citizens.

The three states are ruled by military juntas that seized power in coups.

They have formed their own regional blocs and turned to Russia after relations with other West African countries and Western powers became strained.

Earlier this month, the White House said it would impose sweeping entry restrictions on people from those three countries, as well as South Sudanese, Syrian and Palestinian Authority passport holders.

The decision, which will take effect on January 1, is aimed at “protecting the security of the United States,” the statement said.

The government also moved Laos and Sierra Leone, which were previously subject to partial restrictions, to the full ban list, and imposed partial restrictions on 15 other countries, including Nigeria, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.



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