The decision comes as political tensions rise in South Sudan, sparking fears of a renewed civil war.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Washington is revoking all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders, accusing the African nation’s government of failing to accept the repatriation of its nationals and “taking advantage of the United States.”
“Every country must accept the return of its citizens in a timely manner when another country, including the United States, seeks to remove them,” Rubio stated on Saturday. “South Sudan’s transitional government has failed to fully respect this principle.”
Rubio added that the US would also “prevent further visa issuance to block entry into the United States by South Sudanese passport holders.”
This marks the first such measure targeting all passport holders from a specific country since President Donald Trump returned to the White House on January 20, following his campaign on an anti-immigration platform.
South Sudanese nationals had been granted “temporary protected status” (TPS) by the administration of Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden. This designation is set to expire on May 3 this year.
The US provides TPS, which protects individuals from deportation, to foreign citizens who cannot safely return home due to war, natural disasters, or other “extraordinary” conditions.
Washington “will be prepared to review these actions when South Sudan is in full cooperation,” Rubio said.
Violence in South Sudan
Recent clashes between government troops and armed opposition groups have heightened tensions in South Sudan. Some observers fear a resurgence of the civil war that claimed 400,000 lives between 2013 and 2018.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres last week urged regional and international leaders to prevent South Sudan from plunging “over the abyss” into another civil war.
Guterres warned that the world’s youngest and one of its poorest nations is facing “a security emergency” amid escalating violence and “political upheaval.”
Rising tensions between President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar culminated in Machar’s arrest last month. His party declared that the arrest effectively nullified the 2018 power-sharing peace agreement, which had ended years of conflict.
The UN reported clashes between forces loyal to Kiir and Machar outside the capital, Juba.
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