Chad bans US nationals from entering the African country in response to President Trump’s recent travel ban on Chad citizens.
President of Chad, Mahamat Idriss Deby, announced on Thursday that his country will stop giving visas to US citizens willing to visit Chad. As per reports, the decision to ban US citizens has been taken to protect the respect and pride of Chad citizens.
In a Facebook post, Mahamat Idriss Deby has mentioned principles of reciprocity for the ban on US citizens. He reiterated the same thing said by South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa. Chad has no planes or billions of dollars to offer to the USA. But Chad has pride and dignity.
Further, Republic of Congo called the ban a mistake. Congo Spokesperson Thierry Moungalla said that the Congo ban was a misunderstanding over an armed attack in the USA. He claimed that Congo is not a terrorist country and does not shelter any terrorist. Moungalla stated that the differences in understanding will be soon addressed through dialogues with US officials.
Chad is not the only African country that is displeased
African Union issued a statement after the ban that said, “respectfully calls upon the US Administration to consider adopting a more consultative approach and to engage in constructive dialogue with the countries concerned.”
Further it added, “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. Africa and the United States share mutual interests in promoting peace, prosperity, and global cooperation.”
On June 4, US President had signed a proclamation banning citizens from 12 countries entering the USA. Nationals from the countries like Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen have been banned as a security measure. While people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela will face partial restrictions.
President Trump also said, ”We do not want them” adding “We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen. That is why today I am signing a new executive order placing travel restrictions on countries including Yemen, Somalia, Haiti, Libya, and numerous others.”
