Mali and Burkina Faso Ban American Citizens Following U.S. Travel Restriction Expansion
In a diplomatic tit-for-tat move, Mali and Burkina Faso have banned American citizens from entry following the United States' expansion of travel restrictions on December 16 to more than 20 countries.
The U.S. expansion cited concerns including armed attacks in Burkina Faso and visa overstays, with Burkina Faso reporting a 9.16% overstay rate for B-1/B-2 visas and 22.95% for student, vocational, and exchange visas. Additionally, Burkina Faso has historically not always repatriated removable nationals.
Mali's foreign ministry stated that the conflict within its borders remains ongoing, involving the Malian government and armed groups including terrorists operating in parts of the country. The ban was announced with Mali pledging to apply reciprocity, imposing the same conditions on U.S. nationals as those imposed on Malian citizens.
Both Mali and Burkina Faso are under military juntas and are facing rising anti-French sentiment. The Sahel region is experiencing increasing cooperation with Russia amid Islamist insurgencies and security challenges. Violence in Mali has been linked to Wagner Group activity following a 2024 ambush by Tuareg rebels.
The United States' expanded travel-restriction list also includes Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Niger, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan.
