France and Mali stopped granting visas to each other’s citizens as tensions between the two former allies have risen, Le Monde reports.
According to the french newspaper, France’s embassy in Mali’s capital Bamako has stopped issuing new visas after Paris added Mali to its list of “red zone” nations where its residents are strongly discouraged from traveling. In a travel advisory update, the French Foreign Ministry said: “In the current context of strong regional tensions, travel to Mali is strongly discouraged. French citizens in Mali are urged to show the greatest vigilance.”
In “reciprocity,” Mali’s junta responded by halting the issuance of new visas to French citizens at its embassy in Paris, according to Mali’s foreign ministry.
According to the French online visa service provider cápagothe “reorganization” of the French embassy services as a result of the increased security classification has left it “unable to issue visas until further notice”.
“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 reorganization 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 Capago visa center and call center are closed,” the statement said.
Mali’s foreign ministry said it had learned of the reclassification “with surprise” in a statement posted on social media.
Relations between France and Mali deteriorated after the military takeover of Bamako in 2020 and the removal of President-elect Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, reportedly due to his failure to put down a brutal insurgency.
in a phased retirement which ended in 2022, France began to withdraw its anti-militant troops as the conflict worsened and the junta enlisted the help of Russian paramilitaries.
The Mali junta then imposed a prohibition on the operations of French-funded or supported NGOs, including aid organizations, as tensions escalated between Paris and Bamako. Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga, the country’s interim prime minister, defended the action in a statement on social media, claiming he was in retaliation by France’s recent suspension of development aid to Mali.
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Meanwhile, a spike in regional tensions sparked by a bang on July 26 in Niger, a crucial ally of France, has coincided with the bilateral dispute.
The issuance of French visas has also been banned in Burkina Faso, another former Sahelian ally that had two coups in 2022, according to Capago. website.
In January 2013, after sending troops to combat militants in the north of the country, France was hailed as a hero in Mali. Nine years later, the insurgency has worsened and many Malians applaud France’s departure.
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