"Malian authorities adopted reciprocal measures in response to the US decision to suspend visas for Malian nationals, while locals and experts in Bamako on Thursday backed the move. Political analyst, Ibrahim Soumounou, expressed strong support for the government's stance, saying: "Malian government has applied the law of retaliation. I support the authorities' response; I believe they must take responsibility and strike hard." "If they are asking for four to five million, it is now up to us to assert the importance of our country. We need the Americans as much as they need us," he added. Another locals slammed Washington's 'unilateral decision'. "You cannot make such a decision unilaterally when we need each other. They think they are superior to us, but that is not the case," highlighted Issa Camara, a welder. "It is difficult to assert your independence when you are afraid. We are going to respond in kind; otherwise, this situation will never end. If we cannot find common ground, we must respond in the same way," Camara continued. "Since they did not consult us, and we have no power over them, we can only respond in kind," said Bourama Diouf. "Countries must respect one another [...] America is a power that should now be helping Mali and the AES. Given its motto of freedom and dignity, it should be the first country to support our nation," underlined Adama Coulibaly, local craftsman. President Donald Trump's administration placed Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger on a 'full travel ban' list starting in early 2026, citing "security lapses, corruption, and terrorist threats," as well as the countries' refusal to accept their deported nationals. The Sahel Alliance countries announced reciprocal punitive measures, emphasising their rejection of 'unilateral restrictions' that undermine their sovereignty and the free movement of alliance citizens"