Mali retaliates against US visa bond requirement with identical measure

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Mali ‘s Foreign Affairs Ministry said it will require U.S. visa applicants to post a bond of up to $10,000 in response to an identical measure enacted by the U.S. last week that takes effect Oct. 23.

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.