**The Senegalese women's basketball team has been compelled to cancel their US training camp due to visa rejections, with officials expressing concerns over increasing US travel restrictions affecting African nations.**
**US Visa Denials Force Senegal Basketball Team to Cancel Training Session**
**US Visa Denials Force Senegal Basketball Team to Cancel Training Session**
**Senegalese women's national basketball team forced to train at home following US visa issues as travel restrictions loom.**
The Senegalese women's basketball team's training camp in the United States has been unexpectedly canceled after several players were denied US visas, as confirmed by Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko. The prime minister emphasized the team's plans to conduct their training in Dakar, Senegal's capital, stating it would occur in a "sovereign and conducive setting."
The cancellation follows alarming news that the US government is considering imposing further travel restrictions on an additional 25 African nations, including Senegal. Earlier this month, the US had enacted a ban on citizens from 12 countries, with seven located in Africa. There are also partial travel restrictions in place for nationals from an additional seven countries, three of which are African.
The reasons behind the backlog of visa approvals for the Senegalese athletes remain unclear, as the US Embassy has not yet provided any comments on these individual cases. In a statement uploaded to social media, Prime Minister Sonko declared, "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 originally planned in the United States of America."
Reports indicate that five players and 13 officials were set to join their teammates and coach already in the US for preparatory activities in advance of the Women’s AfroBasket tournament in Ivory Coast next month. The denial of their visa requests has raised concerns and skepticism among various stakeholders.
Diplomatic cables recently leaked suggest that targeted countries, including Senegal, have up to 60 days to rectify any issues related to US visa applications. The cited issues include visa overstays, inadequate cooperation with deportations, and associations with terrorism or anti-American incidences.
In light of the new travel restrictions, Senegal's Foreign Ministry has advised its citizens to adhere to visa duration regulations in the US. Although the ministry did not explicitly mention Senegal's potential designation among the restricted nations, it did note that communication lines with US authorities remain open.
In a broader context, Nigeria's Foreign Minister, Yussuf Tuggar, warned that expanding travel bans might hinder potential deals related to energy and rare earth minerals that West African nations could offer to the US market. The Trump administration has reiterated that national security concerns and the substantial rate of visa overstays from select countries need to be adequately addressed.
The cancellation follows alarming news that the US government is considering imposing further travel restrictions on an additional 25 African nations, including Senegal. Earlier this month, the US had enacted a ban on citizens from 12 countries, with seven located in Africa. There are also partial travel restrictions in place for nationals from an additional seven countries, three of which are African.
The reasons behind the backlog of visa approvals for the Senegalese athletes remain unclear, as the US Embassy has not yet provided any comments on these individual cases. In a statement uploaded to social media, Prime Minister Sonko declared, "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 originally planned in the United States of America."
Reports indicate that five players and 13 officials were set to join their teammates and coach already in the US for preparatory activities in advance of the Women’s AfroBasket tournament in Ivory Coast next month. The denial of their visa requests has raised concerns and skepticism among various stakeholders.
Diplomatic cables recently leaked suggest that targeted countries, including Senegal, have up to 60 days to rectify any issues related to US visa applications. The cited issues include visa overstays, inadequate cooperation with deportations, and associations with terrorism or anti-American incidences.
In light of the new travel restrictions, Senegal's Foreign Ministry has advised its citizens to adhere to visa duration regulations in the US. Although the ministry did not explicitly mention Senegal's potential designation among the restricted nations, it did note that communication lines with US authorities remain open.
In a broader context, Nigeria's Foreign Minister, Yussuf Tuggar, warned that expanding travel bans might hinder potential deals related to energy and rare earth minerals that West African nations could offer to the US market. The Trump administration has reiterated that national security concerns and the substantial rate of visa overstays from select countries need to be adequately addressed.
