Why Have Burkina Faso And Mali Announced A Travel Ban On US Citizens? Here’s All You Need To Know About The Retaliating Move

After President Trump rolled out travel bans targeting citizens from 39 different countries, Burkina Faso and Mali didn’t just sit back; they fired right back with their own restrictions for Americans.

Burkina Faso, Mali Hit Back at Trump Travel Ban

Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister, Karamako Jean-Marie Traoré, wasted no time making it clear: “We’re just giving the US a taste of its own medicine. From now on, Americans face the same entry rules we deal with.”

Mali’s foreign ministry echoed the same idea, saying it would hold American travellers to the exact conditions the US now imposes on Malians.

Both countries didn’t hide their disappointment, either. They called out the US for making such a sweeping move without even the courtesy of a heads-up.

Trump’s Travel Ban Triggers Diplomatic Row

Of those 39 countries now on Trump’s travel ban list, 25 are African. The line-up includes places like Syria, and anyone holding a Palestinian Authority passport. Then there are countries like Niger, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan, some of the poorest in the world.

Some African nations, like Senegal and the Ivory Coast, aren’t completely banned but do face partial restrictions. Worth noting: Both these countries just qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico.

The Trump administration says athletes from those places can compete, but fans? No promises if their country’s on the blacklist.

When the White House first announced all this, it claimed the bans were only aimed at people who “intend to threaten” Americans.

Here’s a quick look at who’s on the list:

Countries facing a total travel ban: Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burma, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Niger, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, and anyone with a Palestinian Authority passport.

Countries with partial restrictions: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

And then there’s Turkmenistan, a special case. The US only blocks non-immigrant visas for them, but keeps restrictions for immigrants, too.

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