America has long prided itself on being the beacon of democracy and freedom, a model for nations, especially those in the developing world, to emulate. But the recent wave of visa restrictions and revocations under the Trump administration tells a completely different story. It paints a troubling picture of a superpower using its immigration policy not as a diplomatic tool, but as an instrument of intimidation against critics and select countries, particularly in Africa.
If the United States truly wants the world to respect its reputation as a champion of democratic principles, it must rise above vindictive politics. How can America preach democracy abroad while using visa revocations to silence dissent at home and beyond its borders? The revocation of visas belonging to individuals like the renowned Nigerian writer, Wole Soyinka, simply because of his outspoken criticism of Donald Trump, is an affront to freedom of speech, one of the very foundations of democracy America claims to protect.
This hypocrisy is nothing new. America has often positioned itself as the world’s moral police, leading interventions and wars in countries it accused of being dictatorial. Libya is a fresh example in our collective memory. The U.S. invaded and helped topple Muammar Gaddafi’s government under the pretext that it was undemocratic. Yet today, the same America is weaponising its visa policies against those who dare to speak truth to power. The question, therefore, is simple: Who holds America accountable when it behaves like the very dictators it condemns?
Africans must begin to question America’s sincerity in its relations with the continent. If the United States does not want Africans to visit or engage with it, then perhaps it should close all its embassies across Africa. It is hypocritical to maintain diplomatic ties and yet treat African nations and citizens with disdain through unfair travel bans and visa cancellations.
From a diplomatic and bilateral perspective, Trump’s policies have severely strained relations between the U.S. and Africa. These restrictions are not only unjust but also undignified. They undermine years of collaboration in education, culture, trade, and security. It is high time African leaders stood up and made their voices heard. The world must understand that mutual respect, not coercion, should define international relations.
What President Trump is doing is not far from dictatorship. Using visa restrictions as a means to suppress critics and punish nations is a direct attack on the democratic ideals America once stood for. The rest of the world cannot remain silent while the so-called “leader of the free world” erodes the very freedoms it claims to defend.
Africa must respond with dignity and unity. No country, no matter how powerful, should feel entitled to trample on the rights or dignity of others. The truth is simple: without the weak, there would be no strong; without the poor, there would be no rich. The world thrives on interdependence, not domination. And no leader, however powerful, should expect to impose unjust policies and go unchallenged.
It is time for both Africans and the international community to tell Trump that democracy cannot coexist with intimidation and that true leadership inspires respect, not fear.
The author is a writer and a social commentator.
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