Sudan summons US envoy, condemns 'Muslim ban' order

Sudan’s Foreign Ministry summoned the United States' Charge d'Affaires in the country to Khartoum on Sunday in protest over the decision of US president Donald Trump to place Sudanese nationals on a travel ban along with nationals from six other Muslim-majority countries.

Airports in the United States have already begun implementing Trump's new regulations and a number of Sudanese nationals in possession of US work permits and tourism visas have been turned away attempting to re-enter the country. 

Speaking on Sunday, Sudanese Foreign Minister Abdul Ghani said that he had spoken to US Chargé d'Affaires, Steven Koutsis, to condemn the new regulations. 

Ghani said that Trump's administration was sending a negative message in contrast to recent positive developments in Khartoum's relationship with Washington that lead the US to suspend some economic sanctions earlier this month, and cooperation between the two states in the fight against terrorism. 

"Khartoum to continue the dialogue with Washington and cooperation at all levels,” said Ghani, adding that, the Sudanese government was seeking “immediately” to have Sudan’s removed from the ban list. 

On Sunday a number of Sudanese nationals spoke to The New Arab at Khartoum International airport having been denied entry into the United States.

Altermazy Saleh, has been studying medicine in the United States for the last three years.

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Despite having been granted a visa from the US embassy Saleh was prevented from boarding a flight to the US from Doha airport attempting to return to the country to complete his studies after a trip to Sudan. 

“I was refused to board the plane, and then on Saturday morning we were booked on a flight to Khartoum, and given our passports half an hour before it took off.”

Fatima Ghasem said that she had been turned away from entering the US at Washington’s Dulles International Airport attempting to travel to the country on a tourist trip. 

She described her treatment as “unjust” noting that the trip had cost her nearly eighty thousand Sudanese pounds (around $6,000). 

A number of Sudanese turned back attempting to enter the US have started to investigate legal avenues to sue President Trump, citing material and moral damage caused by the new visa restrictions amid growing global outcry over the new administration’s decision.