Mali and Burkina Faso have barred U.S. citizens from entering their territories in response to visa restrictions imposed by the Trump administration, bringing the number of African countries taking reciprocal action to four.
Naijaonpoint reports that the decisions were announced in separate statements issued by the foreign ministries of the two West African nations.
The backlash began on June 6, 2025, when Chad suspended visa issuance to American citizens. Chadian President, Mahamat Deby, via social media, stated that the move was implemented “in accordance with the principles of reciprocity,” stressing that the measure was about “national pride and dignity.”
On December 25, 2025, Niger followed suit, indefinitely halting visa issuance and barring US nationals from entry. An official government statement said, “[Niger] has completely and indefinitely suspended the issuance of all visas to citizens of the United States of America and has prohibited the entry of US nationals into the territory of Niger.”
On Tuesday, Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister, Karamoko Traore, confirmed the country’s decision to impose a reciprocal ban.
“In response to the recent measures taken by the United States restricting entry for Burkinabe citizens, the Government of Burkina Faso is applying equivalent visa measures on United States nationals,” Traore stated.
Similarly, the Government of Mali confirmed the measure in an official statement, declaring, “In accordance with the principle of reciprocity and with immediate effect, the Government of the Republic of Mali will apply the same conditions and requirements to American nationals as those imposed by the American authorities on Malian citizens entering the United States of America.”
The series of reciprocal actions stem from Proclamation 10998, signed by US President, Donald Trump, on June 4, 2025, and effective from June 9, 2025. The order suspended entry for immigrants and non-immigrants from 12 countries, including Chad.
By December 16, 2025, the travel ban had expanded to include 19 nations. Eight additional countries, Burkina Faso, Laos, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Syria, were added to the full restriction list, effective January 1, 2026.
The proclamation also placed 20 other countries, including Nigeria, under a partial ban limiting immigration and travel to the United States. These include Angola, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, among others.
Despite the sweeping nature of the bans, the US proclamation allowed exemptions for certain categories, including diplomats, students, athletes, lawful permanent residents, and individuals already present in the US with valid visas.
The measures, part of Trump’s efforts to tighten US immigration standards, have sparked increasing diplomatic pushback from affected countries, particularly in West and Central Africa.
Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, and Niger, all former French colonies and landlocked nations, now form a unified bloc in opposing what they see as discriminatory and unjustified travel restrictions by the United States.