After US President Donald Trump announced a travel ban for citizens of 39 different countries, Burkina Faso and Mali have now hit back with similar sanctions against US nationals.
“Based on the principle of reciprocity, Burkina Faso will immediately apply to US citizens the same conditions of entry that are imposed on its citizens,” Burkinabe Foreign Minister Karamako Jean-Marie Traoré said on Tuesday. Mali’s State Department also issued a similar statement, saying it applies “the same conditions and requirements to US nationals that US authorities have imposed on Malian nationals entering the United States.”
She expressed her “regret” that the United States had made “such an important decision without the slightest prior consultation.”
Of the 39 countries against which Trump has issued a full or partial travel ban, 25 are from Africa.
The list of countries includes Syria, as well as countries that hold Palestinian Authority passports. The list also includes some of the world’s poorest countries, such as Niger, Sierra Leone and South Sudan.
Partial restrictions were also imposed on citizens of other African countries such as Senegal and Ivory Coast. Notably, the two countries have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be held in the US, Canada and Mexico.
The Trump administration has promised to allow athletes into the soccer tournament, but has made no such promise to fans of the blacklisted countries.
When the White House announced the decision to ban foreigners from certain countries from entering the US, it said it was actually banning those who “intend to threaten” Americans.
Here’s a look at the countries where the Trump administration has issued full or partial travel bans:
Travelers on passports issued by the Palestinian Authority will also not be allowed to enter the US.
A special case: The US has restricted entry from Turkmenistan for non-immigrant visas, while restrictions apply to immigrants.
