Mali imposes $10,000 visa bond on US visitors in reciprocal move

The West African state says it has introduced an "identical visa programme" for US travellers.

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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 "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.