A wave of unexpected joy swept across Gambia when the U.S. Embassy in Banjul rejected visa applications from several local officials bound for the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Following local news that approximately two dozen officials had their visa requests denied, hundreds of Gambians took to social media to congratulate the American authorities. Their relief stemmed from the belief that these trips were little more than taxpayer-funded holidays, complete with generous daily allowances and social media updates.
“Thank you to the US Embassy for saving the Gambia from spending millions of dalasi in 25 air tickets, perdiem & other unnecessary expenses,” Madi Jobarteh, a respected Gambian human rights activist, publicly wrote. The dalasi is Gambia’s national currency.
Across many African nations, major international gatherings such as the General Assembly are often met with skepticism. Governments frequently dispatch large delegations, incurring substantial national costs. For instance, a list of potential delegates for Nigeria’s contingent, reviewed by a major international newspaper, comprised ministers, permanent secretaries, and heads of various government entities – potentially hundreds of individuals.
Gambia’s President, Adama Barrow, has repeatedly attempted to curb foreign travel by government officials to control expenditures in the small West African nation. These trips often amount to millions of dollars annually, a cost widely condemned as extravagant and a symbol of governmental corruption in a country with a population under three million. Critics, however, argue that these restrictions rarely achieve their intended effect.
The U.S. Embassy in Gambia remained silent on the matter when approached for comment. Ismaila Ceesay, Gambia’s information minister, who successfully obtained a visa and is currently in the United States, stated he possessed no information regarding the denial of other visa applications.
Confirmation of several visa denials for Gambian officials came from sources close to the intended delegates. The precise reasons for these rejections were not immediately apparent. Nevertheless, local media reported that roughly 25 individuals were affected, including a presidential adviser and the director general of the nation’s public utilities regulator.
Recently, the United States has drawn considerable criticism across Africa for what many perceive as increasingly stringent visa policies targeting the continent. A significant number of African nations were among those impacted by former President Trump’s controversial travel ban.
Earlier in March, Gambia found itself on a ‘yellow’ list, alongside 21 other countries, given a 60-day ultimatum to address identified deficiencies or face new visa restrictions. More recently, the U.S. reduced the validity period of visitor visas for citizens of several African countries, including Nigeria, the continent’s most populous nation.
However, on this occasion, a notable number of Gambians expressed strong approval for the U.S. decision.
A nurse from Banjul, Gambia’s capital, even posted that the visa denials represented ‘the only good move’ made by former President Trump since he assumed office, claiming it saved the country ‘millions of dollars’.