In a bold and unprecedented move, the President of Namibia, Hage Geingob, took decisive measures against the United States in response to the policies of President Donald Trump, who has recently escalated the mass deportation of migrants, including Africans.
The Namibian president, the first woman to hold this position in the country’s history, reported the expulsion of 500 Americans from Namibian territory, saying that “those who are not allowed to enter the United States without a visa will also not be allowed to enter Namibia.”
She also decided to double visa fees for American citizens, in what was seen as a clear response to the U.S.’s harsh immigration policies.
Namibia, with a population of about 2.6 million people, is considered a relatively small African country, but it has shown that “small countries can hurt the big ones,” as observers noted. While Trump is unlikely to know its exact location on the map, this move sent a strong message that sovereignty is not measured by size.
In her speech, the Namibian president stressed that “no African should be required to obtain a visa to visit Namibia” and called for unity among African nations to allow their people to move freely. She added that the continent possesses unprecedented natural wealth and must rely on itself for achieving fair and inclusive development.
This bold stance reflects a new political will in some countries of the Global South and serves as a model for defending dignity and sovereignty in the face of great powers.
