8 hours ago
Senegal women's basketball training in US cancelled after visas rejected
A training session for the Senegalese women's basketball team in the US has been scrapped, with the West African nation's prime minister saying he cancelled it because some of the squad were denied US Minister Ousmane Sonko said the team would now train in Senegal's capital, Dakar, "in a sovereign and conducive setting".It comes amid reports that the US plans to impose fresh travel restrictions on 25 more African countries, including this month the US announced a ban on citizens from 12 countries, including seven from Africa. There were also partial travel restrictions on nationals from a further seven countries, with three from Africa.
It remains unclear why the Senegalese athletes were denied visas, as the US Embassy is yet to publicly comment on the matter."Informed of the refusal of issuing visas to several members of the Senegal women's national basketball team, I have instructed the Ministry of Sports to simply cancel the ten-day preparatory training initially planned in the United States of America," Sonko said on Thursday in a statement shared to social say five Senegalese basketball players and 13 team officials were travelling to meet other members of the squad and their coach who were already in the US, to warm up for the 2025 Women's AfroBasket tournament in Ivory Coast next month. But their visa applications were not halts US visas in revenge for Trump travel banTrump's tariffs could be death knell for US-Africa trade pactThe visa refusals are raising eyebrows because, according to the recently leaked diplomatic cable containing details of the extended travel restrictions, targeted countries were given up to 60 days to address the concerns raised by the reportedly include people overstaying their visas, lack of co-operation with deportations, links to terror attacks in the US, anti-semitism or anti-American the reported new travel restrictions, Senegal's foreign ministry urged nationals to comply with their permitted periods of stay in the it did not directly comment on Senegal's possible inclusion in the latest list of restricted countries, the government statement underscored that diplomatic and consular services were working in close collaboration with the US Nigeria's Foreign Minister Yussuf Tuggar said the expanded travel bans could impede possible energy and rare earth mineral deals which West African countries can offer the US. The Trump administration insists national security concerns and the high rate of visa overstays from some countries must be reporting by Natasha Booty
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