Mathew Amaechi
The United States President Donald Trump has announced plans to impose a travel ban on 43 countries, citing national security concerns. According to an internal memo and officials familiar with the matter, the countries have been divided into three groups: red, orange, and yellow.
The Red Group (Total Ban) comprised of 11 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Sudan, Syria, Libya, Cuba, Bhutan, Venezuela, North Korea, Yemen, and Somalia, whose nationals would be barred from entering the US.
The Orange Group (Severe Visa Restrictions)are 10 countries, including Russia, Belarus, Myanmar, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Pakistan, Laos, Turkmenistan, Haiti, and Eritrea, whose visas would be sharply restricted.
The Yellow Group included 22 countries, including Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Vanuatu, and Zimbabwe, which have 60 days to address concerns raised by the US government.
Notably, African economic powerhouses like Nigeria, South Africa, Algeria, and Egypt have been excluded from the list. However, a US official told Reuters that the list is still subject to change and has yet to be approved by the Trump administration.