The decision angered Mali. France has decided to classify the whole country in the red zone, that is to say in the zone “formally not recommended” for travellers. It also suspended the issuance of visas. Until now, several regions of Mali were categorized red, but the capital Bamako remained in orange, i.e. in an area “not recommended except for imperative reasons”.
The Malian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacted this Thursday, August 10 on social networks feeling “surprised”. He also decided to suspend the issuance of visas in the name of “reciprocity”. To justify its choice, the French government mentioned the terrorist threat. It highlights the risk of kidnapping and attack. However, classification in the red zone is only an indication: it does not entail any ban on travel to Mali.
Burkina Faso, Niger and Iraq strongly discouraged
Many countries have areas categorized red by the Quai d’Orsay. This is the case of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, India… If, most of the time, this alert concerns only one or more regions, some States are entirely classified red. In addition to Mali, we can cite Burkina Faso, which is not recommended because of terrorism and the risk of kidnapping and attack.
Niger is also plagued by terrorism and political instability, revealed by the putsch this summer. In addition to the risks of attack, Somalia is to be avoided because of maritime piracy. In Sudan, the clashes on the entire territory lead the Quai d’Orsay to classify it in red. Haiti is also discouraged due to criminal violence and the frequency of kidnappings.
In the Middle East, all of Iraq, Iran, Syria and Afghanistan are classified in red. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs evokes the political tensions, the presence of terrorism and the risk of arbitrary arrests, in particular in Iran, where several French people are detained. Libya and Yemen are strongly discouraged, as is North Korea. Finally, because of the war in Ukraine, three countries have been classified in red: Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, because of its support for Moscow and its borders with Russia and Ukraine.
Border Hazards
Without being entirely inadvisable, some countries also have some red areas. This is particularly the case in South America, where the borders are considered to be at risk. In Brazil, the border with Venezuela is marked by “ordinary crime, drug trafficking and clashes linked to land disputes”, details the Quai d’Orsay. Same scenario in Colombia, where the borders are “trafficking areas where criminal gangs are active”.
Several states in Mexico are to be avoided because of high crime rates. The border between Morocco and Mauritania is dangerous, as is that between Tunisia and Libya. In Thailand, travel is strongly discouraged to the far south, where a separatist insurgency is underway. The border area with Burma is also very insecure.