Burkina Faso under Captain Ibrahim Traoré and Mali under military President Assimi Goïta have announced that they will ban U.S. citizens from entering their countries.
This move is part of a response to the United States decision to restrict their nationals from travelling to the U.S.
Burkina and Mali announced the decision separately late on Tuesday, stating that it takes immediate effect.
The two countries said the decision was taken in response to the broader U.S. travel ban affecting several countries in Africa and the Middle East.
In mid-December 2025, President Trump expanded the U.S. travel banned, adding five more countries and people travelling with Palestinian Authority-issued documents to the list of those banned from entering the U.S.
The White House said the restrictions are meant “to protect the security of the United States” and will take effect on 1 January 2026. The ban also imposed full entry restrictions on people from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria, as well as holders of Palestinian Authority passports making it the third time Trump has imposed a travel ban.
Meanwhile, Burkina Faso and Mali have responded by announcing their own travel bans on U.S. citizens.
Mali’s foreign ministry said it is acting on the principle of reciprocity, adding that American citizens will now face the same entry conditions imposed on Malians by 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 the government of Mali will apply, with immediate effect, the same conditions and requirements to American nationals as those imposed on Malian citizens.” The Burkina Faso government said it remains committed to mutual respect and sovereign equality, while noting that it is still open to cooperation with international partners where interests align.
Traoré took over the rotating presidency from Mali’s military leader, General Goïta, on Tuesday, 23 December 2025. It was under Traoré’s leadership that the announcement of the travel ban on U.S. citizens was made.
Earlier this year, Chad also took retaliatory action after the U.S. included it in restrictions and suspended visas for U.S. citizens. Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno said the move was about national dignity, stating that although Chad may lack wealth or influence, it will not accept unequal treatment.
Meanwhile, other African countries affected by the expanded U.S. ban, including Nigeria and Sierra Leone, said they plan to respond through diplomatic channels, even though the U.S. measures will take effect on 1 January 2026.
