The African Union has expressed deep concern over President Donald Trump’s sweeping travel ban on citizens from seven African countries, warning that the restrictions will damage decades of carefully nurtured diplomatic and commercial ties between the United States and the continent.
Seven of the 12 countries targeted by Trump’s travel ban, announced on Wednesday, are on the African continent.
As of Monday, 9 June, citizens of Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia and Sudan will no longer be allowed entry to the US.
Burundi, Sierra Leone and Togo are among seven further nations subjected to partial restrictions.
In a statement released on Thursday, the African Union (AU) said it “remains concerned about the potential negative impact of such measures on people-to-people ties, educational exchange, commercial engagement, and the broader diplomatic relations that have been carefully nurtured over decades”.
The AU, which represents all 55 nations on the African continent, called on Washington to “consider adopting a more consultative approach and to engage in constructive dialogue with the countries concerned,” while appealing for “transparent communication” to address underlying issues.
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Terrorism and visa overstays
The Trump administration has justified each country’s inclusion on the list in a presidential proclamation. Equatorial Guinea and Republic of Congo have been targeted due to visa overstays, while Somalia and Libya face restrictions over terrorism concerns.
In a video posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump said an analysis of “high-risk regions” had found “the large-scale presence of terrorists, failure to cooperate on visa security, inability to verify travellers’ identities, inadequate record keeping of criminal histories and persistently high rates of illegal visa overstays”.
Trump linked the decision to a recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, which he said “underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted, as well as those who come here as temporary visitors and overstay their visas – we don’t want them”.
Somali authorities have pledged to work with the US to resolve security issues, after the US described the country as a “terrorist safe haven”. Dahir Hassan Abdi, the Somali ambassador to the United States, said in a statement: “Somalia values its longstanding relationship with the United States and stands ready to engage in dialogue to address the concerns raised.”
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Residents in Mogadishu were less diplomatic. “I totally disagree with the president of the United States’ decision,” Salad Abdullahi Mohamed told France’s AFP news agency. “Somali immigrants reached there after a long hazardous trip to get a better life.”
Ali Abdullahi Ali, another Mogadishu resident, argued that Somali migrants were simply looking “to make a better living and help their parents,” adding: “I would call on the president to make this decision null and void and also give necessary documents to stay and continue living and working there.”
US-Africa tensions
The travel ban is the latest blow to US-Africa relations under Trump’s second administration. The president introduced travel restrictions during his first term, which he claimed were “one of our most successful policies” and had prevented terror attacks on US soil.
Earlier this year, Trump imposed tariffs on scores of African countries as part of his “Liberation Day” trade overhaul, with Lesotho facing a 50 percent tariff, Madagascar 47 percent, and Mauritius 40 percent. These have been temporarily reduced to a 10 percent universal levy, pending negotiations.
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Relations were further strained in May, when Trump ambushed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during a meeting at the Whitehouse, pushing theories about a “white genocide” in the country.
In its statement, the AU emphasised that “Africa and the United States share mutual interests in promoting peace, prosperity, and global cooperation,” while acknowledging “the sovereign right of all nations to protect their borders and ensure the security of their citizens”.
However, it appealed to the US to “exercise this right in a manner that is balanced, evidence-based, and reflective of the long-standing partnership between the United States and Africa”.
Trump said that the strength of the restrictions depends on the “severity of the threat posed” and that the list could be revised depending on whether targeted nations made “material improvements”.
