Senegal’s women’s national basketball team training camp in the United States has been canceled. Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko attributed the cancellation to US visa denials for several team members. The team will now train in Dakar, Senegal, in what the Prime Minister described as a “sovereign and conducive setting.”
This decision follows reports of potential new US travel restrictions impacting 25 additional African nations, potentially including Senegal. These reports come after the US recently implemented a travel ban on citizens from 12 countries, seven of which are African.
The Senegalese team’s ten-day US training program, intended as preparation for next month’s Women’s AfroBasket tournament in Ivory Coast, was disrupted when visa applications for five players and seven officials were rejected. This prompted a strong response from Prime Minister Sonko, who publicly announced the cancellation of the US training camp.
The reasons for the visa denials remain unclear. A US State Department spokesperson cited confidentiality provisions regarding visa records as a reason for not commenting on individual cases. Senegal boasts a strong women’s basketball team, regularly competing in the AfroBasket final four and featuring players in prominent US, European, and Egyptian leagues.
The visa refusals are particularly noteworthy given leaked diplomatic cables suggesting affected countries were given 60 days to address US concerns, reportedly including visa overstays, lack of deportation cooperation, and links to terrorism or anti-American activities. Following the reports of expanded travel restrictions, Senegal’s foreign ministry urged citizens to respect visa stipulations while emphasizing ongoing collaboration with the US administration.
Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, Yussuf Tuggar, expressed concerns that the broader travel restrictions could hinder potential energy and rare earth mineral deals between West African nations and the US. The Trump administration maintains that national security concerns and high visa overstay rates necessitate these measures.
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