In a reprisal move on travel ban, the Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Itno has ordered the suspension of visas to US citizens into Chad.
The order is coming in the heels of the American President, Donald Trump’s travel ban on 12 countries across the world.
Chad is among the 12 nations affected by Trump’s travel ban.
The American President had stated that the ban was in the interest of national security of the United States.
However, in a Facebook post on Thursday, the Chadian President, Itno hit back at Trump with a matching visa ban
He wrote, “I instructed the government to act in accordance with the principles of reciprocity. To suspend the issuance of visas to citizens of the United States of America.”
“Chad has no planes to offer, no billions of Dollars to give but Chad has his dignity and pride,” the Chadian President stated.
Seven of the 12 countries are on the list, released by the US Government recently.
The affected twelve countries are Afghanistan, Chad, Congo, Yemen, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Sudan, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, Libya and Equatorial Guinea.
The ban also imposed heightened restrictions on people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
However, the order also said the Secretary of State may grant exemptions on a “case-by-case” basis.
Reacting to the ban, the African Union (AU) expressed concerned about the potential negative impact” of the measures. The union has called on the US to adopt “a more consultative approach” with the countries concerned.