US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced that the US is immediately revoking visas issued to all South Sudanese passport and no others will be issued, effective immediately.
Rubio attributed the change to “the failure of South Sudan’s transitional government to accept the return of its repatriated citizens in a timely manner,” according to a statement posted on X.
The U.S. Department of State on Saturday wrote in a statement that it is time for the transitional government of South Sudan to “stop taking advantage” of the U.S.
“Enforcing our nation’s immigration laws is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States,” according to the statement. “Every country must accept the return of its citizens in a timely manner when another country, including the United States, seeks to remove them. ”
The department said it “will be prepared to review these actions when South Sudan is in full cooperation.”
Recently, the East African country is tethering towards a civil war, with escalating armed conflict, mass displacement and severe food insecurity.
On 8 March, the US ordered all its non-emergency staff in South Sudan to leave as regional fighting broke out, threatening a fragile peace deal agreed in 2018.
South Sudanese in the US were previously granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which allows them to remain in the US for a set period of time.
TPS for South Sudanese in the US had been due to expire by 3 May.
South Sudan, the world’s newest nation, gained independence in 2011 after seceding from Sudan.
But just two years later, following a rift between President Salva Kiir and Vice-President Riek Machar, the tensions erupted into a civil war, in which more than 400,000 people were killed.
A 2018 power-sharing agreement between the two stopped the fighting, but key elements of the deal have not been implemented – including a new constitution, an election and the reunification of armed groups into a single army.
Sporadic violence between ethnic and local groups has continued in parts of the country.
Since returning to office, the Trump administration has clashed with international governments over deportations of their nationals from the US.
In January, Colombian President Gustavo Petro barred two US military flights carrying deported migrants from landing in his South American country.
Petro relented after Trump promised to place crippling tariffs and sanctions on Colombia.
Petro quickly backpedaled after President Trump promised to place crippling tariffs and sanctions on Colombia.
