Juba – South Sudan said on Tuesday that it would accept a Congolese national deported by the United States whose case sparked a diplomatic row and saw Washington to revoke all US visas for South Sudanese.
The US administration on Saturday accused South Sudan of not taking back deported citizens and “taking advantage of the United States”, sparking the showdown.
South Sudan’s foreign ministry said on Monday the dispute was because a citizen of the Democratic Republic of the Congo was deported to Juba in early April under a false name. As a result he was sent back to the United States.
“In accordance with the friendly relations between South Sudan and the United States, the government… has decided to allow” this Congolese citizen to enter its territory, the ministry said in a statement.
™🤝🏿
The South Sudan 🇸🇸 Government Has Decided To Give In To Pressure, In Order To Save The Innocent Majority From The Collective Punishment (Revocation Of Visas Held By SSD Passport Holders) Announced A Few Days Ago By The US 🇺🇸 Government.SSD Will Accept The Deportee.#SSOX pic.twitter.com/EFZkimORdY
— Francis Thon J. Kelei 🦅🇸🇸 (@ThonJool) April 8, 2025
It said it asked authorities at Juba airport to facilitate his arrival on Wednesday.
South Sudan “remains committed to supporting the return of South Sudanese nationals whose cases have been verified and who are to be expelled from the United States,” it added.
In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said the United States would wait for South Sudan to follow through on the statement.
“We will then be prepared to review once again these actions when South Sudan is in full cooperation,” she said.
“We are unwavering in our commitment to end illegal immigration and bolster America’s border security,” she said.
South Sudan had said that it had always cooperated with the United States on immigration and deportation matters.
The ministry said it had asked its embassy in Washington to urgently issue travel documents for 21 people out of the 23 the United States wanted to expel.
South Sudan, where a five-year civil war up to 2018 left 400,000 dead, is plagued by chronic instability and insecurity.
Clashes in recent weeks and the house arrest of First Vice President Riek Machar by forces loyal to President Salva Kiir in March have threatened more unrest.
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