Donald Trump humiliated as Africa says, ‘keep your America, we’ll keep our continent’

Donald Trump's sweeping travel ban on countries in Africa has been dismissed with a critic telling the US President he can keep America and Africans will keep their continent. Mr Trump's ban applies to citizens from countries around the world, including Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

It also imposes heightened restrictions on people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela who are outside the US and don’t hold a valid visa. But Mr Trump may not stop there, with the New York Times reporting on June 16 that the US leader is thinking of adding 36 more countries to the travel ban, the majority of which are in Africa.

In an op-ed in Al-Jazeera, columnist Tafi Mhaka suggests Mr Trump's attempts to shut Africa out may push the continent towards greater self-reliance and force African leaders to confront the population's "unmet needs".

Mr Mhaka concludes his op-ed, writing: "As Africans, we must stop defining ourselves through Western aid, validation, or instruction. Whatever comes, I will remain in the motherland. Keep your America, Mr Trump – and we will keep our Africa."

He recalls feeling "profound disdain" on first learning of Mr Trump's travel ban, having come after the US President froze aid to Africa. Mr Mhaka writes that he then realised Mr Trump was unwittingly nudging African countries towards greater self-reliance.

He says that poverty, racism, violence, discrimination, police brutality and the challenges of accessing affordable healthcare are all reasons not to consider settling in the US.

Mr Mhaka continues: "Despite the glossy illusion projected by Hollywood, the US is no utopia." He argues a "huge" transformation is required in Africa, including peace, better governance and more focus on artificial intelligence, healthcare and scientific research rather than pouring money in security and defence.

The writer argues African countries need to shake off the legacy of colonial rule, which he says lead many Africans to believe they can find greater success in the US and Europe.

He points to China as a model the continent might follow, with the world's second largest economy having achieved sweeping economic reforms in just 40 years.

While US foreign policy has tended to sideline Africa, the continent is rapidly becoming a priority for the United States, according to the Brookings Institution.

It argues that Africa's population growth, critical mineral reserves and expanding markets make it a clear opportunity for the Trump administration.

The think tank urges the White House to strengthen ties with Africa as countries including China and Russia extend their influences in trade and defence across the continent.

Signs of growing US interest in the continent may have been signalled in June when the White House brokered a peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.

Justifying his travel restrictions, Mr Trump said in June that nationals from countries included in the ban pose "terrorism-related" and "public-safety" risks. He said they also risk overstaying their visas.

Mr Trump said some of the countries had "deficient" screening and vetting or had historically refused to take back their citizens.

His argument relied on an annual Homeland Security report about tourists, businesspeople and students who overstay their US visas and arrive by air or sea.

Abby Maxman, president of Oxfam America, said of the travel bans: "This policy is not about national security — it is about sowing division and vilifying communities that are seeking safety and opportunity in the United States."