Mali imposes $ 10,000 visa bond on US visitors at a reciprocal move

Mali has announced that US citizens visiting the West African country will have to publish a bond of up to $ 10,000 (£ 7,500) for business and tourist visas in response to a similar requirement that the Trump administration has imposed on its citizens.

The US Embassy in Mali said the fee was introduced on Friday to increase Washington’s “commitment to protect America’s borders and to protect US national security.”

The Mali Foreign Ministry said the bond was unilaterally imposed on Sunday and decided to “create an identical visa program” for US citizens.

The change in visa policy comes despite moves to improve diplomatic relations between the two countries.

In July, US officials visited Mali to discuss cooperation to combat terrorism and economic partnerships, including potential access to Mali’s gold and lithium reserves.

Relationships worsened after a coup in Mali in 2021. They led to the Assimi Goa Gen to swept to power.

He directed the West African country to Russia in an attempt to overcome the growing riots of jihadists.

He kicked out the French troops and scored mercenaries from the Russian group Wagner, which is under the Ministry of Defense of Moscow. Since then, they have been replaced by Africa Corps.

Last week, Burkina’s military government Faso refused to take deported from the United States as Washington stopped issuing visas in the West African nation.

Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Trare Tray asked whether the embassy’s decision was “extortion” after he said he had rejected the US proposal to take over migrants from third countries.

The Trump administration turned to African countries as a destination for deportation of migrants into as part of its repression of immigration.