AU perplexed by Trump’s  travel ban on Chad

The African Union Commission (AUC) says it is perplexed by US President Donald Trump’s decision to include Chad in its list of countries issued with a travel ban.

In a meeting held on Tuesday at the African Union Headquarters with the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) against the Boko Haram insurgency it said it was wrong to impose a travel ban on the Republic of Chad. “ In particular, given its important role in the fight against terrorism in the Lake Chad Basin, Northern Mali, and the Sahel.”

The AU emphasised that the free and legal movement of people is the foundation of a stronger and mutually enriching relationship between the African continent and the United States.

“The AUC is of the view that cooperation and meaningful engagement are vital in shaping a common response to this very demanding global challenge,” read a statement posted on the AU website.

On Sunday, Trump signed off on updated travel restrictions that would limit entry for people coming to the U.S. from eight countries, as the existing travel ban is set to expire.

Making America Safe is my number one priority. We will not admit those into our country we cannot safely vet.https://t.co/KJ886okyfC

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 24, 2017

The new travel restrictions, set to take effect Oct. 18, would limit entry from citizens of North Korea, Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen. North Korea and Venezuela were not listed in the earlier ban.

The African Union calls ‘for meaningful dialogue between the government of the United States and Member States of the African Union on the travel ban affecting African countries and looks forward to discussing the matter in the upcoming AU-US High Level Dialogue in November 2017.”