In a significant policy change, Mali has announced that US nationals wishing to visit the West African nation will now be required to pay a visa bond, potentially as high as $10,000 (£7,500) for business and tourist visas. This decision appears to be a direct response to a similar visa requirement implemented by the Trump administration for Malian citizens.
The US embassy in Mali stated that the new fee aims to reinforce America’s commitment to border protection and national security. However, Mali’s foreign ministry has characterized the bond as a unilateral decision and confirmed their intention to establish an ‘identical visa programme’ for US citizens.
This development comes at a time of evolving diplomatic relations between the two countries. While US officials visited Mali in July to discuss counterterrorism efforts and economic partnerships, including access to the country’s valuable gold and lithium reserves, political shifts have complicated the relationship. Following a coup in 2021, Mali’s leadership under Gen Assimi Goïta has pivoted towards Russia, seeking support to counter a growing jihadist insurgency. This strategic shift has led to the expulsion of French troops and the introduction of Russian mercenaries, now replaced by the Africa Corps.
The situation echoes recent events in Burkina Faso, another West African nation, where the military government refused to accept deportees from the US, leading Washington to suspend visa issuance. Mali’s foreign minister, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré, questioned the US’s actions, suggesting they might be ‘blackmail’ after he reportedly rejected a US proposal to accept migrants from third countries. The US administration has been increasingly looking towards African nations as destinations for deporting migrants as part of its broader immigration crackdown.
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