Bamako: 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. This decision comes in response to a similar requirement imposed on Malian citizens by the Trump administration.

According to BBC, the US embassy in Mali stated that the fee was introduced to reinforce Washington's "commitment to protecting America's borders and safeguarding US national security." In a reciprocal move, Mali's foreign ministry declared that the bond was imposed unilaterally and decided to "establish an identical visa programme" for US citizens.

In recent years, Mali has shifted its alliances, moving closer to Russia in an attempt to address the growing insurgency by jihadists in the region. This shift included the expulsion of French troops and the introduction of mercenaries from Russia's Wagner group, now replaced by Africa Corps.

In related news, Burkina Faso's military government recently refused to accept deportees from the US, resulting in Washington suspending visa issuance in the country. Foreign affairs minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré questioned whether the US embassy's decision was a form of "blackmail" after rejecting a US proposal to accept migrants from third countries.

The Trump administration's strategy has been to identify African countries as potential destinations for deported migrants as part of a broader immigration crackdown.