US Visa woes: South Sudan caves to pressure, accepts ‘Congolese’ deportee
South Sudan's President Salva Kiir Mayardit prepares for a group photo during the opening of an African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, February 15, 2025.
South Sudan has backtracked on its initial refusal to admit a man it had claimed was a Congolese national deported by the United States. The reversal comes after the US imposed a sweeping visa ban on South Sudanese citizens.
South Sudan's foreign ministry initially had said that the decision stemmed from a case where an individual, mistakenly identified as South Sudanese, was wrongfully deported.
In a sudden policy shift on Tuesday, South Sudan’s foreign ministry announced that the government would allow the deportee, identified as Makula Kintu, to enter the country.
The decision was made "in the spirit of the friendly relations between South Sudan and the United States."
"As a result of this decision, the government has instructed the relevant authorities at Juba International Airport to facilitate Mr Makula Kintu permission to enter the country as early as tomorrow," Tuesday's statement read in part.
Juba further added that they were committed to supporting the return of its "verified nationals" who are scheduled for deportation from the US.
The controversy began when US Secretary of State Marco Rubio imposed a blanket visa ban on South Sudan on April 5, accusing the country of failing to accept deported citizens from the United States.
However, Juba denied the allegation, clarifying that the individual in question is not a South Sudanese national but rather a citizen of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
S. Sudan said in a statement that the deportee was denied entry by South Sudanese authorities after he said in an immigration interview at the Juba airport that he had been brought there against his will.
“In accordance with our immigration protocols, we returned him to the sending country for further processing,” the foreign ministry spokesperson, Apuk Ayuel Mayen, said.
According to the ministry, an individual arrived at Juba International Airport on April 5 and April 6, presenting a South Sudanese Travel Document under the name Nimeri Garang.
Upon investigation, South Sudanese authorities determined the individual was not Nimeri Garang, but rather Makula Kintu, a citizen of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), born April 2, 1977.
The ministry stated that “comprehensive verification processes” confirmed his Congolese nationality.
During his immigration interview in Juba, Mr Kintu reportedly stated that he belonged to the Ema tribe from the North Kivu province of the DRC and claimed he had been forcibly sent to South Sudan. South Sudanese authorities state that they had shared video evidence of the interview with the US Ambassador in Juba and the US State Department in Washington.
In his statement on Saturday, Rubio said that the US would also block any arriving citizens of South Sudan, the world's newest country, at US ports of entry.
He blamed "the failure of South Sudan's transitional government to accept the return of its repatriated citizens in a timely manner".
"We will be prepared to review these actions when South Sudan is in full cooperation," he added.
South Sudanese officials have emphasised their ongoing cooperation with the US on deportation matters, noting that emergency travel documents have been issued for 21 out of 23 individuals identified by American authorities. While most of these deportees were successfully repatriated, two Kintu and another individual from Sudan, were found not to be South Sudanese citizens.
Last month, the US government ordered its non-emergency staff to leave South Sudan following violent clashes in certain regions.
Since taking office, the Trump administration has intensified its immigration crackdown. US border officials have adopted more aggressive measures at ports of entry, scrutinising green card and visa holders who have expressed opposition to its policies.