Keypoints:
- VP Obiang dismisses impact of US travel ban
- Fewer than 50 Equatorial Guineans visit US yearly
- Trump policy seen as discriminatory by youth
EQUATORIAL Guinea’s vice president has played down the impact of a newly imposed United States visa ban, saying it will affect few citizens and calling instead for a boycott of travel to the US.
Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, son of long-time President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, urged Equatorial Guineans on Wednesday to avoid travelling to the United States after the Trump administration placed the oil-rich Central African country on a list of 11 nations subject to new travel restrictions.
‘I recommend to my compatriots to stop going to the United States until the country reconsiders its decision,’ Obiang Mangue said, according to AFP.
Despite this, he maintained that Equatorial Guinea still enjoys ‘excellent relations’ with Washington and described the US as the country’s ‘main economic partner and investor’.
Few travellers, little impact
The vice president sought to downplay the real-life impact of the policy, noting that fewer than 50 Equatorial Guineans travel to the US each year. ‘It will have no impact on our country,’ he declared.
The US Embassy in Malabo previously stated that 70 percent of students and 22 percent of tourists from Equatorial Guinea overstay their visas — a factor cited by the Trump administration in justifying the restriction.
Still, the decision has been met with frustration, particularly among students and young professionals.
‘It’s a discriminatory and racist decision by Donald Trump,’ said Deogracias Ndong, a medical student at the University of Equatorial Guinea. ‘I had hoped to study in the United States. They have good training over there.’
Migration deal still on the table
The travel ban comes even as Equatorial Guinea remains in discussions with Washington to take in third-country migrants under the Trump administration’s proposed deportation programme.
While relations remain formally intact, rights groups and analysts view the visa restriction as another flashpoint in the growing diplomatic strain between the US and parts of Africa.
Several other African countries were also included in the ban, leading to widespread criticism from the continent.
Regional backlash and youth discontent
Neighbouring Chad, also on the visa ban list, responded by suspending visas for US citizens in a tit-for-tat move. The Chadian government has since entered into ‘constructive dialogue’ with Washington to resolve the issue, its foreign ministry said.
The restrictions come at a time when migration aspirations are at an all-time high. A recent survey by the Ichikowitz Family Foundation found that nearly six in ten young Africans are considering emigration within the next three years — primarily in search of employment. The United States was the top destination.
Economic reality at home
Equatorial Guinea, once one of Africa’s wealthiest nations per capita due to oil wealth, has not been immune to economic hardship. A downturn driven by falling global oil prices saw the country enter recession in 2023. Unemployment now stands at 8.5 percent, according to the African Development Bank.
With growing economic strain and rising youth frustration, critics warn that increased visa restrictions — even if symbolically minimal — risk deepening the disconnect between the US and emerging African voices.
