Zimbabwe not among 7 African countries blacklisted by Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed a sweeping travel ban on citizens from seven African countries, citing threats linked to terrorism, inadequate identity verification, and high levels of visa overstays. The ban, which takes effect on June 9, includes Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan - part of a wider list of 12 countries now facing stringent U.S. entry restrictions.

Zimbabwe survived a black from the Trump administration that could have impacted it's citizens.

According to a March 2025 report, Zimbabwe fell under the "yellow" list, which includes 22 countries given a 60-day window to address concerns related to security practices, data sharing, and passport issuance. If these concerns are not resolved, Zimbabwe and others on this list risk facing stricter travel measures or even complete bans.

According to a presidential proclamation issued by the White House, the affected countries have failed to meet U.S. security benchmarks related to immigration control, counterterrorism cooperation, and information sharing. While Libya and Somalia were singled out for harboring terrorist threats, countries like Equatorial Guinea and the Republic of Congo were cited for chronic visa overstays.

Speaking in a video posted to his Truth Social platform, Trump emphasized that the decision followed a comprehensive risk assessment led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

"We found the large-scale presence of terrorists, failure to cooperate on visa security, inability to verify travellers' identities, inadequate record keeping of criminal histories, and persistently high rates of illegal visa overstays and other things," Trump said. "The recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, has underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by foreign nationals who are not properly vetted."

Trump added that the strength and scope of the restrictions would vary depending on the specific risk posed by each country and could be revised should "material improvements be made."

In addition to the full travel ban, three other African countries—Burundi, Sierra Leone, and Togo—will face partial restrictions. The specifics of those limitations were not immediately disclosed, but they are expected to focus on temporary visas and certain categories of travelers.

Somalia, one of the countries facing a full ban, responded diplomatically. Its ambassador to the U.S., Dahir Hassan Abdi, said in a statement that Mogadishu remains committed to addressing Washington's concerns.

"Somalia values its longstanding relationship with the United States and stands ready to engage in dialogue to address the concerns raised," Abdi said.

The new restrictions expand on Trump's controversial travel bans from his first term, which targeted several Muslim-majority countries, many of them African. Trump defended the earlier bans, claiming they were "one of our most successful policies" that prevented terror attacks on U.S. soil.

The latest move, however, threatens to deepen tensions between Washington and African capitals. In April, Trump introduced a sweeping tariff regime under his "Liberation Day" economic reforms, targeting dozens of African nations. Countries like Lesotho, Madagascar, and Mauritius faced punitive tariffs of up to 50% on goods exported to the U.S., though those rates have since been temporarily reduced to a 10% universal tariff pending further negotiations.

Bilateral relations have also been strained by Trump's May Oval Office meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, during which Trump reportedly repeated discredited claims about a "white genocide" in South Africa—drawing backlash from Pretoria and other African leaders.

With the travel bans now added to the mix, diplomatic analysts warn that Trump's second-term policies may further isolate the U.S. from African allies and risk damaging long-standing economic and security partnerships across the continent.