Mali hits back at US, imposes $10,000 visa bond on American travellers

By Associated Press | Dakar, Senegal

Mali has announced that US citizens applying for entry visas will now be required to pay a bond of up to $10,000, mirroring a similar measure introduced by Washington last week.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Malian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the decision was made “in accordance with the principle of reciprocity”, insisting that American nationals will face the same visa conditions now applied to Malian citizens seeking entry into the United States.

The move follows a notice from the US Embassy in Bamako, which cited high visa overstay rates, screening deficiencies, and foreign policy considerations as reasons for imposing the bond requirement beginning October 23.

“Mali has decided to introduce an identical visa program, imposing the same conditions and requirements on US nationals as those applied to Malian citizens,” the ministry said.

The latest development underscores the cooling relationship between Mali and Western powers, particularly the US and France. Since the country’s 2021 military coup, Mali’s junta has distanced itself from traditional Western allies and aligned more closely with Russia, seeking military and political cooperation amid a worsening security crisis.

French troops were expelled in 2022 after nearly a decade of counterterrorism partnership, while Russian forces — including Wagner-affiliated operatives — have become increasingly visible across the country.

Despite these shifts, attacks by Islamist insurgents linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have continued to surge, stretching Mali’s military and straining its fragile economy.

In September, al-Qaeda affiliate Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) announced a ban on fuel imports from neighboring countries — a move analysts say could cripple local markets and deepen the junta’s economic woes.

The tit-for-tat visa policy marks another flashpoint in Mali’s growing diplomatic isolation, as the ruling junta faces pressure from both regional blocs and Western governments over democratic reforms and human rights concerns.