Brookings published on 27 August 2026 a commentary titled "Don't Let the Iran War Distract the United States from Africa" by Landry Signe.
The Iran war risks distracting the United States from Africa when competition for critical minerals, trade, and alliances with African countries become more intense. China, France, Russia, UAE, and India are accelerating their engagement on the continent, meaning any American retreat will come at a high geopolitical opportunity cost.
PBS News published on 14 January 2026 an article titled "State Department Suspending Immigrant Visas for 75 Countries, Citing Public Assistance Concerns."
The State Department announced on 14 January that effective 21 January it will suspend the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries whose nationals the Trump administration has deemed likely to require public assistance while living in the United States. The suspension will not apply to applicants seeking non-immigrant visas, or temporary tourist or business visas.
The 75 countries include 26 in Africa: Algeria, Cameroon, Cape Verde, DRC, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, and Uganda.
The White House posted on 16 December 2025 a fact sheet titled "President Donald J. Trump Further Restricts and Limits the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States."
The United States added 15 countries to the list impacted by partial or full travel restrictions. There are now 34 countries subject to some kind of restriction; 26 are in Africa. The stated purpose of this policy is "to protect the Nation from national security and public safety threats."
The proclamation continues full restrictions and entry limitations of nationals from 12 "high-risk" countries. This includes the following African countries: Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan.
It adds full restrictions and entry limitations on 5 additional countries, including Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and South Sudan.
It imposes full restrictions on 2 countries that were previously subject to partial restrictions, including Sierra Leone.
It continues partial restrictions on nationals of 4 original "high risk" countries, including Burundi and Togo.
It adds partial restrictions and entry limitations on 15 new countries. They include Angola, Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The Associated Press published on 16 December 2025 an article titled "Trump Expands Travel Ban and Restrictions to Include an Additional 20 Countries" by Rebecca Santana.
This article includes a map that clearly demonstrates the impact of this policy on African countries.
The New York Times published on 16 December 2025 an article titled "Trump Expands Travel Ban and Restrictions to 20 More Countries" by Tyler Pager and Hamed Aleaziz.
The article reports that homeland security secretary Kristi Noem recommended to President Trump that he institute "a full travel ban on every damn country that's been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies."
Comment: Most of the African countries on the list are there because of "high visa-overstay rates and refusal to repatriate removable nationals" from the United States. Visa overstay means that an individual received a visa at a US embassy overseas to be in the United States for a limited period of time, for example 3 months to visit relatives or one year to study. They stayed longer than the allotted period, which is a violation of US law. But it has little or nothing to do with US national security.
The fact sheet contains some African countries that do have unusually high visa overstay rates. But others are not especially high. Mauritania's B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate is 9 percent. Nigeria has a B-1/B-2 overstay rate of 6 percent and F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 12 percent. Senegal's B-1/B-2 overstay rate is 4 percent and F, M, and J overstay rate of 13 percent.
The US policy seems more focused on cracking down on immigration and keeping certain foreigners out of the country than US national security. As for Kristi Noem's comment on countries in the travel ban, has America fallen to this low level?
The Wall Street Journal published on 2 December 2025 an article titled "Trump Says He Doesn't Want Somali Immigrants in U.S. as ICE Plans Operation" by Michelle Hackman, Natalie Andrews, and Jack Morphet.
President Trump said he does not want immigrants from Somalia in the country ahead of an expected ICE operation in Minnesota, where the Somali American community is concentrated. Last month, Trump said he would revoke Temporary Protected Status for Somalis in Minnesota.
He referred to Somali American elected member of Congress, Ilhan Omar, as "garbage." Omar responded that "his obsession with me is creepy" and "I hope he gets the help he desperately needs."
The Associated Press published on 9 July 2025 an article titled "Citizens of More Than 70 Countries Can Now Visit China Without a Visa" by Fu Ting.
China has increased to 74 the number of countries whose citizens can enter for up to 30 days without a visa. Only 2 African countries--Mauritius and Seychelles--are on the list.
The New York Times published on 7 June 2025 an article titled "China's Quiet Win: Outmaneuvering U.S. for Africa's Future Leaders" by Abdi Latif Dahir.
As the Trump administration tightens restrictions for international students to enter the United States, Africans increasingly are opting to study in China, attracted by government scholarships, affordable tuition, lower living costs, and easier entry requirements.
The White House published on 4 June 2025 a fact sheet titled "President Donald J. Trump Restricts the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats."
The proclamation fully restricts and limits the entry of nationals from twelve countries found to be deficient with regards to screening and vetting and determined to pose a very high risk to the United States: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
The proclamation partially restricts and limits the entry of nationals from seven countries who also pose a high level of risk to the United States: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
Comment: Seven of the twelve fully restricted countries and three of the seven partially restricted countries are in Africa.
Four of the fully restricted countries--Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Eritrea--were included because nationals from those countries have a history of disproportionally overstaying their visas after coming to the United States. Three of them--Libya, Somalia, and Sudan--were included because the governments have no competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports.
All three of the partially restricted countries--Burundi, Sierra Leone, and Togo--have a history of disproportionally overstaying their visas after arriving in the United States.
Clearly, this proclamation, at least in the case of the African countries, has little to do with combatting terrorism and a lot to do with keeping people out of the United States from certain countries for other reasons.
Axios posted on 8 April 2025 an article titled "South Sudan Says It Will Accept Deportee Amid Rubio's Visa Revocations" by Avery Lotz.
South Sudan said it would accept a deportee from the United States who it previously denied entry to on the basis he was a Congolese national. Secretary of State Marco Rubio then revoked all visas held by South Sudan passport holders. The government of South Sudan has now agreed to accept the deportee "in the spirit of the existing friendly relations between South Sudan and the United States."
Axios published on 7 April 2025 an article titled "South Sudan Contradicts Rubio's Reasoning for Visa Revocation" by Avery Lotz.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders citing the failure of the country's government to accept repatriated citizens in a timely manner. South Sudan responded that this decision stems from a single deportee who is Congolese and not South Sudanese.
Refugees International published on 24 July 2023 a paper titled "Sudan in Crisis: Improving the Response for Sudanese Refugees in Egypt" by Abdullahi Boru Halakhe.
About 120,000 Sudanese are stuck between conflict in Sudan and a hostile environment in Egypt at or near the Sudanese/Egyptian border town of Wadi Halfa in unsanitary conditions where they cannot meet their basic needs for weeks. Relaxation of entry and expediting the refugee determination process, combined with livelihood and labor access by Egyptian authorities and UNHCR, would reduce the humanitarian suffering at the border and inside Egypt.
The Middle East Institute published on 5 June 2023 a short analysis by me titled "US Adopts Additional Sanctions on Sudan."
I conclude that the most recent American sanctions on Sudan are not likely to have any significant impact. While the sanctions signal Washington's unhappiness with the activities of the Sudan Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, they face major practical limitations.
The State Department issued on 25 February 2022 a statement titled "Visa Restrictions on Individuals Responsible for Undermining the Democratic Process in Somalia."
The State Department announced that it is imposing vias restrictions on a number of unnamed Somali officials and other individuals for their role in undermining the scheduled completion of parliamentary elections on 25 February and failing to provide a clear plan to conclude the process.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued on 8 February 2022 a press statement titled "Promoting Sustainable Peace and Responsive Governance in Somalia."
The statement emphasizes the need to move forward with credible elections. It also threatens to restrict the issuance of visas to current or former Somali officials or other individuals who are believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic process in Somalia. Immediate family members of such persons may also be subject to these restrictions.
The Migration Policy Institute published on 21 July 2021 an article titled "As Migration and Trade Increase between China and Africa, Traders at Both Ends Often Face Precarity" by Daouda Cisse.
Many African migrant entrepreneurs and traders who reside in China and Chinese migrants in Africa live in difficult circumstances. An estimated 500,000 African migrants live in China and an estimated one to two million Chinese reside or work in Africa, although many are not entrepreneurs and traders.
The State Department issued on 23 May 2021 a statement titled "United States' Actions to Press for the Resolution of the Crisis in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia" in the name of Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The statement said parties to the conflict in Tigray have taken no meaningful steps to end hostilities or pursue a peaceful resolution of the political crisis. It reiterated the request that Eritrea immediately return its troops to internationally recognized Eritrean territory.
Until these steps are taken, the United States is announcing a visa restriction policy for any current or former Ethiopian or Eritrean government officials, members of the security forces, or other individuals--to include Amhara regional and irregular forces and members of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF)--responsible for, or complicit in, undermining resolution of the crisis in Tigray.
The US has also imposed wide-ranging restrictions on economic and security assistance to Ethiopia and will bring its defense trade control policy in line with them. The US will continue humanitarian assistance but parties that continue to be responsible for undermining a solution to the crisis in Tigray should anticipate further actions from the United States and the international community.
The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry responded by accusing the United States of exerting undue pressure on Ethiopia by imposing visa restrictions on Ethiopian officials. It added that Ethiopia "finds it extremely regrettable that the implications of the visa restrictions and other measures taken earlier will seriously undermine this longstanding and important bilateral relationship." It added that it "is not only inappropriate but also completely unacceptable. Ethiopia should not be told how to run and manage its internal affairs." The statement concluded that Ethiopia will be forced to "reassess its relations with the United States, which might have implications beyond our bilateral relationship."
Reuters published on 24 May 2021 an article titled "Ethiopia Accuses United States of Meddling over Tigray" by Giulia Paravicini that also discusses Ethiopia's reaction.
Foreign Policy posted on 21 May 2021 an article titled "Biden Administration Plans Visa Restrictions on Ethiopian Officials Over Tigray" by Robbie Gramer.
The Biden administration is planning to target Ethiopian and Eritrean officials with visa restrictions as part of an effort to encourage change in policy in Tigray Region.
Reuters published on 23 November 2020 an article titled "New Trump Rule May Require Some African Tourists to Pay Up to $15,000 in Bonds" by Ted Hesson.
The outgoing Trump administration issued a new temporary rule that could require tourist and business travelers from 24 countries, including 15 in Africa, to pay a bond of as much as $15,000 to visit the United States.
The Department of State published on 24 November 2020 the "Visa Bond Pilot Program." Countries whose nationals have overstay rates of 10 percent or higher are included in the pilot program. The 15 African countries are: Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Chad, DRC, Djibouti, Eritrea, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Libya, Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe, and Sudan.
Comment: This is one more landmine left by the departing Trump administration. The problem of visa overstays by tourists and business visitors dates back many decades and does tend to be higher for nationals of certain countries. The problem with this solution is that it seems to be predicated on two premises: payment of a bond before travelling to the US will discourage overstaying and foreign countries need to do more to prevent the practice.
Payment of a bond will prevent most low income visitors intending to remain in the United States from travelling to our shores. They will find it difficult to pay the bond. It will have little or no impact on the wealthy visitors who can afford to forego up to $15,000. The idea that foreign countries can prevent this practice by their nationals is ludicrous. This is a personal decision made by each person who obtains an American visa. What can a foreign government do about that? Finally, what is magical about the 10 percent overstay number? If a country has a 9 percent overstay rate, there apparently is no problem.
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