Mali’s government has announced that U.S. citizens seeking entry into the country will now be required to post a visa bond of up to $10,000, matching a similar restriction introduced by the United States last week.
The new policy is set to take effect on October 23.
In a statement released Sunday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the decision was based on “the principle of reciprocity,” and that the same rules and financial conditions applied to Malian nationals by the U.S. would now be enforced on Americans.
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The move follows an announcement from the U.S. Embassy in Bamako, which explained that the U.S. visa bond program targets countries with high overstay rates, inadequate vetting systems, or broader foreign policy concerns.
Mali’s military government, which seized power in a 2021 coup, has since realigned its foreign relations, shifting away from its longtime security partnership with France and forging closer ties with Russia. Despite these changes, the country continues to face mounting extremist attacks linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State network.
In September, the al-Qaida-affiliated group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin banned fuel imports from neighboring states, a move experts warn could severely strain Mali’s fragile economy and further challenge the ruling junta’s ability to maintain stability.
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