Africa concerned, surprised by US travel ban
Chad suspended visas for US citizens Thursday in retaliation as governments hit by President Donald Trump's travel ban on seven African countries reacted with surprise and concern over the measure.
African nations made up more than half of the 12 countries banned from entering the United States under the decree signed by Trump on Wednesday.
They were Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia and Sudan.
"Chad has neither planes to offer, nor billions of dollars to give, but Chad has its dignity and its pride," President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno said on his official Facebook page, in an apparent reference to Trump's friendly ties with richer countries.
The African Union (AU) said in a statement the ban would harm "people-to-people ties, educational exchange, commercial engagement, and broader diplomatic relations" built with the US over decades.
It appealed to Washington to adopt a "consultative approach and to engage in constructive dialogue with the countries concerned".
Trump said the move was spurred by an attack on a Jewish protest in Colorado by an Egyptian man, even though Egypt was not included in the travel ban.
He also barred travellers from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Haiti, Iran and Yemen.
Chad's Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Sabre Fadoul told AFP the government was "surprised by this announcement and even more by the terrorism-related reason (which) completely disregards Chad's commitment and results in this area".
"We think it's a misunderstanding," Republic of Congo government spokesman Thierry Moungalla told a news conference.
"Congo is not a terrorist country, does not harbour any terrorists, is not known to have a terrorist inclination."
In the Somali capital Mogadishu, the government did not immediately respond to the ban but there was anger on the streets.
"I totally disagree with the president of the United States' decision," one resident, Salad Abdullahi Mohamed, told AFP.
"Somali immigrants reached there after a long hazardous trip to get a better life."
Another resident, Ali Abdullahi Ali, agreed that Somali migrants were simply looking "to make a better living and help their parents".
"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," he added.
ALSO READ
