U.S. travel ban heralds "turbulent times" for Africa, says AU chief

Record ID: 166503

  • Title: U.S. travel ban heralds "turbulent times" for Africa, says AU chief
  • Date: 30th January 2017
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF DELEGATES AND HEADS OF STATES STANDING FOR THE AFRICAN UNION (AU) ANTHEM
  • Embargoed: 13th February 2017 13:32
  • Keywords: immigration Donald Trump ban Africa African Union visa
  • Location: ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
  • City: ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
  • Country: Ethiopia
  • Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA002619WGG7
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The head of the African Union said on Monday (January 30) that a U.S. travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries including three in Africa heralded "turbulent times" for the continent.
    Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma spoke after U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order halted travel by people with passports from Libya, Somalia, Sudan and four other Middle East nations for 90 days, and stopped refugee resettlement for 120 days.
    "Excellencies, it is clear that globally we are entering very turbulent times. For an example, the very country to whom our people were taken as slaves during the transatlantic slave trade have now decided to ban refugees from some of our countries. What do we do about this? Indeed, this is one of the greatest challenges and test to our unity and solidarity," Dlamini-Zuma told African leaders at the start of a summit in the 54-nation bloc's headquarters in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
    Even before the travel ban was announced last week, African capitals had watched the transition from Barack Obama's administration to Trump with some concern, fearing his focus on "America first" could push trade and other ties with the continent down the U.S. list of priorities.
    The new U.N. Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, also hinted at unease about the U.S. administration's actions in his address at the summit, without mentioning Trump or the United States.
    "But, African nations are also among the world's largest and most generous hosts of refugees. African borders remain open for those in need of protection, when so many borders are being closed even in the most developed countries in the world," said Guterres, who took over at the U.N. helm this month.
    A global backlash against U.S. President Donald Trump's immigration curbs gathered strength as several countries including long-standing allies criticized the measures as discriminatory and divisive.
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