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The
ministry statement Sunday followed a statement Friday posted by
the U.S. Embassy in Mali’s capital Bamako. It cited high
overstay rates, screening and vetting deficiencies, and foreign
policy considerations as potential reasons behind the U.S.
decision.
“In accordance with the principle of reciprocity, Mali has
decided to introduce an identical visa program, imposing the
same conditions and requirements on U.S. nationals as those
applied to Malian citizens,” the foreign ministry said in a
statement.
Mali's military leadership, which came to power in a 2021 coup,
has overseen a dramatic shift in domestic policy, from being a
major counterterrorism partner of France to expelling French
troops and instead turning to Russia for security assistance.
But the security situation remains precarious, and attacks from
extremist groups linked with al-Qaida have intensified in recent
months.
Mali, along with neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, has long
battled an insurgency by armed militants, including some allied
with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.
In early September, the group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam
wal-Muslimin, an al-Qaida affiliate, announced a ban on fuel
imports from neighboring countries in what analysts say poses
huge risks for the fragile local economy and is a significant
setback for Mali’s military junta.
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