The African nation is on the brink of return to civil war after its First Vice-President Riek Machar was placed under house arrest last week
On Saturday, the United States announced it would cancel all visas for individuals holding passports from South Sudan due to their nation’s refusal to accept the return of deported citizens. This move comes amid concerns across Africa that the situation in South Sudan might escalate into another civil conflict.
US President Donald Trump’s administration has taken aggressive measures to ramp up immigration enforcement, including the repatriation of people deemed to be in the US illegally.
The government has cautioned that nations failing to promptly repatriate their citizens may encounter repercussions such as visa restrictions or trade tariffs.
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The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that South Sudan has not upheld the principle requiring each nation to promptly accept the return of its own citizens when another country, such as the United States, attempts to deport them.
“Effective immediately, the United States Department of State is taking actions to revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and prevent further issuance to prevent entry into the United States by South Sudanese passport holders,” Rubio said.
“When South Sudan is fully cooperating, we will be ready to revisit these measures,” Rubio stated.
The transitional government in South Sudan needs to stop exploiting the United States, he stated.
The embassy of South Sudan in Washington did not provide an immediate response when contacted for comments.
This week, African Union negotiators came to Juba, the capital of South Sudan, for discussions intended to prevent a fresh civil conflict following the placement of the nation’s First Vice-President, Riek Machar, under house arrest last week.
The government of South Sudan’s president, Salva Kiir, has charged his longtime adversary, Machar—who commanded rebel groups during the 2013-18 conflict that resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths—with attempting to incite a fresh uprising.
Following weeks of conflict in the northern region of Upper Nile state between the army and the White Army militia, Machar was detained. Although Machar’s forces were associated with the White Army during the civil war, they now refute having any present connections.
The conflict from 2013 to 2018 primarily divided along ethnic lines, with combatants from the Dinka community—South Sudan’s biggest group—supporting Kiir, whereas individuals from the Nuer—the nation’s second-biggest ethnicity—backed Machar.
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