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Chesnot / Getty ImagesChad's Central African countries say they have suspended all visas to US citizens as a matter of “reciprocity.”
“Chad doesn't have the billions of dollars to be given to the planes he offers, but Chad has dignity and pride,” continued President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno in a Facebook post on Thursday (in French).
Africa is the worst continent affected by the travel ban announced by US President Donald Trump, with seven of the 12 countries on the list.
It is scheduled to come into effect on Monday.
The order bans people from Chad, Congo Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia and Sudan, as well as from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Haiti, Iran and Yemen.
Additionally, there are travel restrictions for citizens of Burundi, Sierra Leone, Togo, Cuba, Laos, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. They will no longer be able to travel to the US on certain visas.
“We do not allow people who want to harm us to enter our country,” Trump said in a video posted to X.
The US President said that “material improvements” have been made and “threats are appearing around the world” and that if additional countries can be added, the list can be revised.
The White House said these “common-sense restrictions” would “protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors.”
Somalia responded quickly to the travel ban and has pledged to work with the US to address security issues soon.
In a statement, US Somali ambassador Dahil Hassan Abdi said his country “loves its long-standing relationship” with the United States.
Chad does not hide his disappointment, and in addition to the president's harsh words, its Foreign Minister Abdulei Saber Fadur told AFP News that his government was “surprised by the announcement, and has completely ignored Chad's commitment and ignored the results in this field.”
The African Union said it was “concerned about the potential negative impact” of the measure and called on the US to adopt a “more consultative approach with the countries involved.”
BBC Tigrinya spoke to several Eritreans who are wary of the ban.
“As Eritreans, we are already struggling under the administration at home and now we are facing the same challenges under Trump's immigration policy. We have endured so many pains,” one man told the BBC on condition of anonymity.
Eritrea is a one-party state where President Isayas Afelki has been in power since gaining independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after 30 years of bitter struggle.
Young Eritreans are subject to mandatory military service, urging thousands of people to flee the country and seek evacuation elsewhere.
Another Eritrea woman said she was worried that she and her children would not be able to join her husband, who already lives in the US.
“We waited a long time, we did everything legally, but now we're left at Limbo. No one is giving us a clear answer,” she told the BBC.
In a video posted on his Truth social website, Trump said he is suspected of a recent terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado.
However, the suspect in the attack is an Egyptian citizen, and Egypt is not one of the affected countries.
According to the White House's travel ban explanation, countries such as Libya, Somalia and Sudan do not have competent authorities to issue passports and civic documents and implement “appropriate screening measures.”
Currently, all three are caught up in a civil war.
Furthermore, the White House said “a sustained terrorist threat also originated from Somali's territory,” with the “historical terrorist presence within Libyan territory.”
Other African countries affected had a high percentage of people overstaying visas, ranging from 15% to 70% of certain visas for Equatorial Guinea citizens.
The ban will take effect on June 9th. This cushion is a disruptive cushion that was deployed at airports around the country eight years ago when similar measures were virtually notified.
Visas issued prior to that date will not be revoked, the order said.
Dual Nationals and athlete exemptions will be offered at major sporting events, including the 2026 Men's Football World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
The travel ban will fulfill the promise Trump made during his 2024 campaign, but could be challenged in court.
He signed a similar order during his first term in office in 2017.
It featured several countries that were the same as his latest orders, including Libya, Somalia, and Iran.
Critics called it a “Muslim ban” as the seven countries listed first are Muslim majority.
The White House revised its policy and eventually added two non-Muslim majority: North Korea and Venezuela.
This was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.
President Joe Biden, who succeeded Trump, repealed the ban in 2021, calling it “the stain of our people's conscience.”
Additional Reports by Will Ross
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