The United States announced on Wednesday a new travel ban targeting citizens of seven African countries including Sudan as part of security measures described by Washington as necessary to strengthen its national security The announcement was made through an official statement issued by the White House
The list of countries subject to the full ban includes Somalia Sudan Chad Eritrea Libya the Republic of Congo Brazzaville and Equatorial Guinea while partial restrictions were imposed on three other countries Burundi Sierra Leone and Togo
The US administration clarified that the decision is based on precise security and intelligence assessments noting that the listed countries do not meet the required security standards according to the White House statement The ban is set to take effect starting June 9 2025 with the suspension of new entry visas for citizens of these countries except for current visa holders permanent residents in the United States and some humanitarian and emergency exemptions.
The decision drew criticism from human rights organizations and international bodies which viewed it as a measure that exacerbates humanitarian isolation while analysts noted its consistency with previous travel ban policies adopted by the US administration
It is worth noting that South Sudan was not included in the current list but experts anticipated that the list could expand in the future particularly as the US continues to review its security cooperation with certain African countries
