The African Union has expressed its concern over US President Donald Trump’s new travel ban, saying it could impact Washington’s diplomatic relations with the continent.

Of the 12 countries affected by his executive order, issued on Wednesday night, 7 are in Africa, with a further 3 African nations facing travel restrictions.

African nations impacted by the full ban are Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan. Burundi, Sierra Leone, and Togo face restrictions. AU called on Washington to “engage in constructive dialogue with the countries concerned”.

Trump claims the ban is needed to protect the United States against “foreign terrorists” and other security threats. Other countries facing the ban include Iran, Myanmar, Haiti, Yemen, and Afghanistan.

Travel agents, however, say it will have little real impact as Afghans have struggled to get US visas since the Taliban took over. There has been a mixed reaction to the announcement in the Iranian capital, Tehran.

The travel ban does not target existing visa or green card holders, and there are a few exceptions for some categories. The ban takes effect one minute past midnight on Monday 9 June, a cushion that may avoid the chaos that unfolded at airports nationwide when a similar measure took effect with virtually no notice in 2017.

https://trendsnafrica.com/us-to-impose-travel-ban-to-south-africa/

In a video released on social media, Trump tied the new ban to Sunday’s terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, saying it underscored the dangers posed by some visitors overstay visa.The suspect in the attack is from Egypt, a country that is not on Trump’s restricted list. The Department of Homeland Security says he overstayed a tourist visa.