South Sudan has responded to the U.S. decision to revoke all visas for its citizens, attributing it to a dispute over a deportee’s entry.
The U.S. announced on Saturday that it would cancel visas held by South Sudanese nationals, following the country’s refusal to accept a deported individual from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to South Sudan’s foreign ministry, the deportee, who arrived at Juba airport, claimed to have been brought there against his will.
After a comprehensive verification process, South Sudan confirmed the individual was indeed from the Democratic Republic of Congo, not South Sudan.
The statement expressed regret over the incident, emphasizing the long-standing partnership between the two nations.
It also condemned the revocation as an overreaction to a single case involving misrepresentation.
The decision by the U.S. to cancel visas comes amid a broader push by former President Donald Trump’s administration to strengthen immigration enforcement.
This action also coincides with heightened tensions in South Sudan, where African Union mediators are engaged in talks to avert a new civil war.
These talks follow the house arrest of South Sudan’s First Vice President, Riek Machar, who has been accused of attempting to incite rebellion after a violent conflict that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.
The diplomatic row underscores the fragility of relations between the U.S. and South Sudan, particularly as the latter navigates internal political unrest.
