Gambians Express Gratitude After US Denies Visas to Officials for UN Gathering

In a surprising turn of events, Gambians are expressing their gratitude to the United States Embassy in Gambia for denying visas to several local officials who were planning to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The move has been met with jubilation in Gambia, with many citizens taking to social media to thank the American officials for saving the country from what they perceived as a wasteful expenditure. According to reports, over two dozen Gambian officials had their visa requests rejected, which was seen as a welcome development by many in the country. The officials were expected to travel to New York at the expense of the Gambian government, which would have included hefty per diems and other expenses. Many Gambians believe that these trips are often used as opportunities for officials to indulge in luxuries, while the country's resources are squandered. "Thank you to the US Embassy for saving the Gambia from spending millions of dalasi on air tickets, per diems, and other unnecessary expenses," wrote Madi Jobarteh, a prominent Gambian human rights activist, on Facebook. The dalasi is the Gambian currency. The United Nations General Assembly is an annual event that brings together world leaders and officials to discuss global issues. However, in many African countries, these gatherings are often viewed with skepticism, as governments tend to send large delegations at significant national expense. A list of invitees for the Nigerian delegation, for instance, included ministers, permanent secretaries, and chairs of various governmental bodies, potentially totaling hundreds of people. Gambia's President Adama Barrow has made efforts to restrict government officials from traveling abroad, in an attempt to limit spending by the tiny West African country. However, critics argue that these restrictions have not been effective in curbing the practice. The US Embassy in Gambia did not respond to a request for comment on the visa denials. Gambia's Information Minister, Ismaila Ceesay, who was granted a visa and is currently in the United States, said he had no information about the refusal of other visas. While the reasons for the visa denials are not clear, many Gambians are celebrating the move. A nurse in the Gambian capital, Banjul, wrote on Facebook that the visa denial was "the only good move" made by US President Donald Trump since taking office. "It has saved our country millions of dollars," he added. The United States has faced criticism in Africa for its increasingly restrictive visa policies towards the continent. Many countries included in President Trump's travel ban list are in Africa. In March, Gambia was placed on a "yellow" list of 22 countries that were given 60 days to address perceived deficiencies, with the threat of facing new visa restrictions if they did not comply. Recently, the United States also reduced the duration of visas for visitors from several African nations, including Nigeria, Africa's most populous country. In this instance, however, many Gambians seem to believe that the United States made the right call. The development has been seen as a rare instance of a foreign government intervening to help curb what many see as a culture of wasteful spending by Gambian officials.