By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The duo of Mali and Burkina Faso have vowed to bar US citizens from entering their countries in response to a similar move by Washington.
Under the recent US President, Donald Trump’s expanded travel ban, the two West African states were placed under full entry restrictions.
They vowed to apply the same measures on US nationals in their separate statements.
Burkina Faso’s foreign affairs minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré said his country was acting on the “principle of reciprocity”, while Mali’s foreign ministry called for “mutual respect and sovereign equality”.
The latter said it regretted the US’s move, adding that “such an important decision was made without any prior consultation”.
Mali and Burkina Faso’s decision comes days after neighbouring Niger announced a similar travel ban on US citizens.
The three junta-led West African countries had witnessed coups in recent years, suspending constitutional authorities.
Following their suspension from regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), they formed their own group, Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and shifted towards Russia for economic and security cooperation after relations with their neighbouring West African nations strained.
Earlier this month, the White House said that full-entry restrictions would be imposed on people from the three countries, as well as South Sudan, Syria and Palestinian Authority passport holders.
The decision would come into effect on 1 January, and was intended to “protect the security” of the US, it said.
The administration also moved Laos and Sierra Leone, which were previously subject to partial restrictions, to the full ban list, and put partial restrictions on 15 other countries, including Nigeria, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
The White House said the restrictions would remain in place until affected countries show “credible improvements” in identity management, information-sharing and cooperation with US immigration authorities.
