2 African Nations Bar Americans Following US Travel Ban on Them

The governments of Mali and Burkina Faso said on Tuesday that they are imposing bans on U.S. citizens from entering their countries in response to the Trump administration’s recent decision to place the African nations on a travel ban list.

The announcements, which were made in separate statements by the foreign ministry offices of the two West African countries, marked the latest twist in the frosty relationship between West African military dictatorships and the United States.

“In accordance with the principle of reciprocity, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation informs the national and international community that, with immediate effect, the Government of the Republic of Mali will apply the same conditions and requirements to US nationals as those imposed on Malian citizens,” the Malian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on X, issued on Dec. 31.

A separate statement signed by Burkina Faso’s minister of foreign affairs, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré, cited similar reasons for banning U.S. nationals.

“In application of the principle of reciprocity, the government of Burkina Faso informs national and international public opinion of its decision to apply equivalent visa measures to nationals of the United States of America,” its statement said, according to a translation from French to English.

“The government of Burkina Faso remains committed to mutual respect, the sovereign equality of States, and the principle of reciprocity in its international relations.”

Earlier in December, President Donald Trump imposed travel restrictions and bans on roughly 20 more countries. The administration confirmed it expanded the list of countries whose citizens are banned from entering the United States to Burkina Faso and Mali.

The White House cited constant attacks by quickly spreading terrorist groups as a reason for the travel ban. The two countries’ juntas vowed to fight the armed groups after deposing civilian governments over the insecurity that has roiled much of the region.

“Terrorist organizations continue to plan and conduct terrorist activities throughout Burkina Faso,” the White House said on Dec. 16, adding that the country also had significant visa overstay rates and “has historically refused to accept back its removable nationals.”

Meanwhile, it said that “armed conflict between the Malian government and armed groups is common throughout the country” and that “terrorist organizations operate freely in certain areas of Mali.”

So far this year, the Trump administration has partially restricted or banned travel from African countries Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Eritrea, Gabon, the Gambia, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Zambia.

In the Dec. 16 announcement, the Trump administration said “widespread corruption, fraudulent or unreliable civil documents and criminal records” made it difficult to vet their citizens for travel to the United States.

The White House at the time said that Turkmenistan was removed from a previous travel restriction list because it had improved its policies.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.