Mali enforces visa bond on US visitors in retaliation move
(MENAFN) Mali has introduced a new visa regulation requiring U.S. citizens to pay a refundable bond of up to $10,000 when applying for business or tourist visas, in a reciprocal move responding to a similar measure recently enforced by Washington.
According to reports, the U.S. Embassy in Mali explained that the American policy aims to strengthen border protections and safeguard national security.
Mali’s Foreign Ministry, however, described the U.S. decision as unilateral and said Bamako had opted to implement “an identical visa programme” for American nationals in response.
The policy shift comes even as both nations had taken steps in recent months to rebuild ties. In July, U.S. officials traveled to Mali for talks on counterterrorism cooperation and potential economic ventures, including investment opportunities in Mali’s gold and lithium sectors.
Relations between the two countries have been strained since the 2021 coup that brought Gen.
Assimi Goïta to power. Following the takeover, Goïta realigned Mali’s foreign policy toward Russia in an effort to combat escalating jihadist violence.
He expelled French forces from the country and invited Russian military contractors from the Wagner Group, which was later replaced by the Kremlin-linked Africa Corps.
Tensions between the U.S. and other West African states have also surfaced recently. Last week, Burkina Faso’s ruling military council declined to accept deportees from the U.S., prompting Washington to suspend the issuance of visas for Burkinabe nationals.
Mali’s Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré questioned whether the U.S. Embassy’s stance amounted to “blackmail,” claiming he had earlier rejected a proposal from Washington to accept migrants from third countries.
The Trump administration has reportedly sought to expand deportation agreements by designating African nations as destinations for migrants removed from the United States as part of its broader immigration crackdown.
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