Sudan expresses 'displeasure' at Trump's latest travel ban

The Sudanese government has expressed its dissatisfaction at the latest travel ban issued by President of the United States (US) Donald John Trump. Sudan called for a reversal of what it described as a ‘harsh decision.’

Trump on Monday issued a second executive order banning all but one of the Muslim majority nations affected by his first order. Iraq was removed from the new order which bans Somali, Sudanese, Iranian, Yemeni, Syrian and Libyan nationals from entering the US for a 90-day period.

A statement issued by the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs less than 24-hours after the order was signed expressed “deep regret and discontent with the decree of the US president.”

“Sudanese citizens have never been linked to any crime or terrorist act committed in the United States,” the statement said, calling on Washington to reverse “this harsh decision” against the Sudanese.

The new decree replaces one that was passed on January 27 but subsequently blocked by a federal judge. Unlike the earlier one that was supposed to take immediate effect, this one becomes active after a 10-day period.

Sudan is listed by the US as a country supporting terrorism. Portions of a decade-old sanction were eased by former President Barack Obama before he left office. Before the sanctions were lifted on 13 January, Sudan had been under US trade embargo since 1997.

Two days after the first decree, (on January 29) the Sudanese Foreign Ministry summoned the US ambassador in Khartoum to protest against the first decree signed by Mr Trump. It remains to be seen what next step they will take.