By Ayo Yusuf
Against the backdrop of regional tensions, France and Mali have stopped issuing visas to each other’s citizens, as relations between both nations worsened.
According to reports, the French embassy in the capital of Mali, Bamako, stopped giving new visas after Paris added Mali to its list of “red zone” nations where its residents are strongly discouraged from travelling.
In a travel advisory update, the French foreign ministry said “In the current context of strong regional tensions, all travel to Mali is strongly not advised. French citizens in Mali are urged to show the greatest vigilance.”
In response the junta in Mali retaliated by halting the issuance of new visas to French citizens at its embassy in Paris, as ordered by the Malian foreign ministry.
According to the French online visa service provider Capago, the French embassy’s “reorganisation” of services as a result of the higher security classification has rendered it “unable to issue visas until further notice.”
It further stated: “In a context of strong regional tensions, Mali has been classified as a red zone by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. This modification leads to a reorganisation of the services of the French Embassy in Bamako, which will therefore no longer be able to issue visas until further notice.
“Therefore, we inform you that the visa centre and the Capago call centre are closed.”
Mali’s foreign ministry said that it had learned of the reclassification “with surprise” in a statement posted on social media.
Relations between France and Mali deteriorated following the military’s takeover of Bamako in 2020 and the removal of elected president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita reportedly due to his failures to quell a brutal insurgency.
In a phased pullout that finished in 2022, France started to withdraw its anti-militant troops as the conflict grew worse and the junta enlisted the help of Russian paramilitaries.
Mali’s junta then imposed a ban on the operations of NGOs funded or supported by France, including aid organisations, as tensions between Paris and Bamako grew. Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga, the country’s interim prime minister, defended the action in a statement on social media, claiming it was in retaliation for France’s recent suspension of development assistance for Mali.
Regional tensions were also worsened by a coup on July 26 in Niger, a crucial French ally, coinciding with the bilateral dispute.
French visa issuance has also been banned in Burkina Faso, another former Sahelian ally that had two coups in 2022, according to the Capago website.
In January 2013, after sending troops to combat militants in the nation’s north, France was hailed as a hero in Mali. Nine years later, the insurgency has gotten worse and many Malians are cheering France’s departure.
