U.S. revokes visas for South Sudan nationals amid diplomatic tensions
- The U.S. is revoking all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders due to the country's failure to accept deportees.
- South Sudan claims the visa revocation is based on a mistaken identity incident involving a Congolese individual.
- The situation escalates diplomatic tensions and could affect future relations between the U.S. and South Sudan.
The United States, under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has taken significant action by revoking all visas for passport holders from South Sudan. This measure is reportedly the first of its kind targeting all nationals from a specific country since President Trump returned to the White House in January 2021. The decision stems from South Sudan's failure to timely accept the return of its own citizens who were deported from the U.S., leading to heightened diplomatic tensions between the two countries. South Sudan, which is one of the poorest nations and currently grappled with ongoing political strife, has viewed this visa revocation as unfair, arguing it was based on a mix-up involving a Congolese national rather than any South Sudanese citizen. The South Sudanese government has condemned the action, citing a history of partnership and collaboration with the U.S. and emphasizing the singularity of the incident that led to this punitive measure. Reports indicate that the U.S. government is set to block new visa issuances and has warned of further reviews of these actions if the South Sudanese government cooperates fully moving forward.