In response to a similar action taken by Paris, the Malian authorities have made the decision to suspend visa issuance at the diplomatic and consular services of the African republic operating within the territory of France. This response was communicated through an official message from the Malian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was posted on Thursday night on the X social media platform (formerly known as Twitter).
"We were taken aback by the information from the press indicating that the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has designated Mali as a red zone due to escalating regional tensions. Subsequently, the French embassy in Bamako suspended the issuance of visas, shut down the visa center, and halted operations at the Capago call center (a company authorized by the French government to process visa applications - TASS)," the statement from Mali's foreign ministry read.
"As a reciprocal measure, the ministry has decided to suspend the issuance of visas through the diplomatic and consular services of Mali in France until further notice," clarified the ministry.
As reported by the MaliActu portal, on August 9, French authorities halted visa issuance on Malian territory until further notice. This decision stemmed from Paris categorizing Mali in the "red zone" due to elevated regional tensions.
France suspended the issuance of all visa types on Malian soil, encompassing short-term, long-term, and work visas, according to MaliActu. Similarly, French authorities suspended visa issuance until further notice on Burkina Faso's territory, as reported by the LeFaso website.
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Based on materials from TASS