South Sudan to Send Delegation to the U.S. in an Effort to Appease Tensions

South Sudan has announced it would send a delegation to the United States in an effort to appease the relations between the two countries, after the U.S. cancelled all visas for South Sudanese nationals. 

In a statement shared on X, the South Sudan government said the delegation will aim to address the repatriation of 137 South Sudanese nationals, currently subject to deportation orders from the U.S. 

Tensions arose after a man named Makula Kintu, an alleged Congolese deportee, was denied entry at Juba International Airport.

The man had been expelled from the US on 5 April. Washington had accused Juba of refusing to take in its own citizens. 

South Sudanese authorities have since allowed Kintu to enter the country, but the incident has caused a crisis with the US. 

In attempt to solve the crisis, South Sudan has even fired its Foreign Affairs minister, but the U.S. is standing its ground. 

According to the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the matter is a question of “national security and public safety.”

The South Sudanese delegation will aim to ensure an “orderly, legal, and dignified” repatriation process.  It will be led by Finance Minister Marial Dongrin Ater, Central Bank Governor Johnny Ohisa Damian, and Civil Registry Director Elia Kosta Faustino.

Whether or not this initiative will help restore trust between the two countries remains to be seen.