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The Independent
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump says he doesn't know what ‘the Congo' is – that may explain why one Congo is on his travel ban and other isn't
Among the 19 countries President Donald Trump has issued a travel ban on is the Republic of the Congo, which, until now, the president has not singled out as a particular issue. Trump has accused 'the Congo' – the informal name for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a much larger country located next to the Republic of the Congo – of releasing prisoners into the United States. 'Many, many people come from the Congo,' Trump said during a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni last month. 'I don't know what that is, but they came from the Congo.' The DRC has firmly denied those allegations. Yet, the White House placed the Republic of the Congo, not the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on its restrictive travel ban list – saying Republic of the Congo visa holders overstay by a rate, on average, of 29 percent. One reason the DRC may have been excluded from the travel ban is because the country is trying to work out a mineral deal with the U.S. That deal could be finalized by the end of the month, according to the Financial Times. The Independent has asked the White House for further comment. Reviving the policy from his first administration, Trump announced full restrictions, for both immigrants and nonimmigrants, on Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Partial restrictions are also in place for Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. The Republic of the Congo has not publicly commented on the travel ban as of the publication of this story. But, the African Union Commission, the executive arm of the African Union, encouraged the U.S. to reconsider the full or partial ban on nine of it's countries. The commission said it 'remains concerned about the potential negative impact of such measures on people-to-people ties, educational exchange, commercial engagement, and the broader diplomatic relations that have been carefully nurtured over decades.' 'While recognising the sovereign right of all nations to protect their borders and ensure the security of their citizens, the African Union Commission respectfully appeals to the United States to exercise this right in a manner that is balanced, evidence-based, and reflective of the long-standing partnership between the United States and Africa,' the commission said in a statement. So far, Venezuela has been the first country to verbally challenge Trump's travel ban policy. Diosdado Cabello, the minister of the interior, justice, and peace, hit back at Trump shortly after the partial travel ban was announced, saying people should not travel to the U.S. anyway. 'Being in the United States is a great risk for anyone, not just for Venezuelans,' Cabello said, according to translation. Cabello said those who govern the U.S. are 'fascist' and 'persecute our people… for no reason.' Dahir Hassan Abdi, the Somali ambassador to the U.S., urged the U.S. to engage in a conversation with the Somali government instead. 'Somalia values its longstanding relationship with the United States and stands ready to engage in dialogue to address the concerns raised,' Hassan said in a statement. Since the president began implementing strict immigration policies, other countries have also issued warnings about traveling to the U.S, including Germany, the U.K., Canada, France, Finland, and Denmark.
Bloomberg
5 days ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Trump Signs Executive Action Banning Travel From 12 Countries
President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a proclamation that bans individuals from 12 countries from entering the US, reinstating one of the most controversial and defining measures from his first term in the wake of an attack in Boulder, Colorado, that targeted a march in support of Israeli hostages. The second-term travel ban covers Afghanistan, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. The measure also partially limits entry of people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
Associated Press
09-05-2025
- Associated Press
Congo national park associated with Prince Harry acknowledges human rights abuses
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — A national park associated with Prince Harry in the Republic of the Congo has acknowledged that its guards committed human rights abuses against Indigenous peoples who were displaced when the park was constructed. An internal investigation by African Parks, a South African-based wildlife parks consortium, uncovered cases of torture, rape and forced displacement of Indigenous people who used to inhabit the land now occupied by the Odzala-Kokoua National Park. Prince Harry sits on the board of African Parks. 'African Parks acknowledges that, in some incidents, human rights abuses have occurred, and we deeply regret the pain and suffering that these have caused to the victims,' read a statement released Thursday by the group and London-based law firm Omnia Strategy. The initial reports of the abuse, which allegedly took place in 2023, were raised by international rights group Survival International. The allegations were investigated, but the final report of the abuse remains confidential and many details remain unclear. The rights group said Thursday in a statement that men and women were beaten, tortured or raped 'by rangers who are managed and paid for by African Parks.' It did not provide details. Jonathan Mazower, a spokesperson for Survival International, alleged that African Parks has known since at 'least 2013' of cases of abuse when a researcher raised the issue with them. 'This is not a particularly isolated case,' he said. Founded in 2000, African Parks established a hard-nosed reputation by going into seriously degraded places armed with the right to hire and fire from governments, which retained broad authority but respected a clear separation of roles. The group assumes day-to-day management of countries' wildlife areas, seeking more efficiency and accountability in the campaign to protect flora and fauna from poaching and habitat depletion. Many partner nations struggle to run parks on their own, challenged by poverty, corruption and conflict. ___ Louis Patrick Okamba contributed from Brazzaville
