US Cancels All South Sudan Visas Amid Deportation Dispute
WASHINGTON: The United States has revoked all visas issued to citizens of South Sudan following the country’s refusal to accept the return of its nationals deported from American territory.
The move is part of a broader immigration enforcement strategy under President Donald Trump’s administration, which has emphasized the removal of undocumented individuals and strict compliance from foreign governments regarding deportations.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement on Saturday criticizing South Sudan for failing to uphold its international obligation to accept its citizens when they are deported by another country, including the United States.
“Effective immediately, the US State Department is revoking all valid visas for individuals holding South Sudanese passports and suspending further visa issuance to these nationals,” Rubio stated.
He further noted, “These measures may be reviewed if and when South Sudan demonstrates full cooperation on the matter.”
Rubio also urged South Sudan’s transitional leadership to stop exploiting its relationship with the United States. “It’s time for the transitional government in South Sudan to cease taking advantage of American goodwill,” he added.
As of now, South Sudan’s embassy in Washington has not issued a response.
In parallel developments, African Union negotiators have arrived in Juba, South Sudan’s capital, to hold discussions aimed at preventing another civil conflict. The intervention follows the house arrest of First Vice President Riek Machar, a key figure in South Sudan’s political landscape and a central player during the country’s civil war between 2013 and 2018.
President Salva Kiir’s administration has accused Machar of attempting to ignite a fresh rebellion. Tensions escalated recently after violent clashes erupted in the Upper Nile state between government forces and the White Army militia. Though Machar’s faction collaborated with the militia during the civil war, they now deny any current affiliation.
The brutal 2013–2018 civil war divided the country largely along ethnic lines, with President Kiir’s Dinka faction opposing Machar’s Nuer-led forces. The conflict claimed hundreds of thousands of lives before a peace agreement was brokered.
