The central African nation of Chad says it is suspending all visas to US citizens as a matter of “reciprocity”, after learning that it is one of a dozen countries whose nationals are banned from travelling to the US.
“Chad has neither planes to offer nor billions of dollars to give, but Chad has its dignity and pride,” continued President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno in a Facebook post (in French) on Thursday.
Africa is the continent worst affected by the travel ban announced by US President Donald Trump, with seven of the 12 countries on the list.
It is set to come into effect on Monday.
The ban takes effect on 9 June, a cushion that avoids the chaos that unfolded at airports nationwide when a similar measure took effect with virtually no notice eight years ago.
Visas issued before that date will not be revoked, the order said.
There will be exemptions for dual nationals and athletes in major sporting events such as the 2026 men’s football World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
The travel ban fulfils a promise Trump made during his 2024 election campaign but is likely to be challenged in court.
He signed a similar order in 2017, during his first term in office.
It featured some of the same countries as his latest order, including Libya, Somalia and Iran.
Critics called that a “Muslim ban” as the seven countries initially listed were Muslim majority.
The White House revised the policy, ultimately adding two non-Muslim majority countries, North Korea and Venezuela.
This was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.
President Joe Biden, who succeeded Trump, repealed the ban in 2021, calling it “a stain on our national conscience”
