Mali imposes $10,000 visa bond on US visitors in tit-for-tat move

Mali has announced that US nationals visiting the West African country will be required to post a bond of up to $10,000 (£7,500) for business and tourist visas, in response to a similar requirement the Trump administration has imposed on its citizens.

The US embassy in Mali said on Friday the fee had been introduced to reinforce Washington's "commitment to protecting America's borders and safeguarding US national security".

Mali's foreign ministry said on Sunday the bond had been imposed unilaterally, and it had decided to impose "establish an identical visa programme" for US citizens.

The visa policy shift comes despite moves to improve diplomatic relations between the two countries.

In July, US officials visited Mali to discuss counterterrorism cooperation and economic partnerships, including potential access to Mali's gold and lithium reserves.

Relations deteriorated after a coup in Mali in 2021 led to Gen Assimi Goïta sweeping to power.

He pivoted the West African state towards Russia in a bid to stem a growing insurgency by jihadists.

He expelled French troops, and brought in mercenaries from Russia's Wagner group, which is under Moscow's defence ministry. They have since been replaced by Africa Corps.

Last week, Burkina Faso's military government refused to take in deportees from the US, as Washington suspended issuing visas in the West African nation.

Foreign affairs minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré questioned if the embassy's decision was "blackmail" after he said he had rejected a US proposal to take in migrants from third countries.

The Trump administration has turned to African countries as a destination to deport migrants to as part of its crackdown on immigration.