If implemented, the new measures would mean nearly 40 African countries face bans or some form of travel restrictions to the United States.
An internal State Department cable cites reasons such as unreliable identity documents, passport security and the refusal or unwillingness by some countries to receive deported nationals, Reuters reported Sunday.
Other grounds listed in the cable are terrorism, involvement in anti-semitic and anti-American activity. Over all, the document names twelve grounds to threaten travel restrictions against 36 countries in total.
The list includes major US partners in Africa such as Kenya, Angola, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast and Nigeria.
The others are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, and Mauritania.
Niger, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe also appear in the cable.
The affected countries have 60 days within which to address Washington’s concerns lest they face partial or full travel bans.
Last week, the US banned travel from Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan.
It also placed heightened restrictions on travel from Burundi, Sierra Leone and Togo.
Source: Africanews
