The United States has revoked all visas held by South Sudanese citizens, escalating a diplomatic standoff over deportations and sparking concern as tensions in South Sudan edge closer to renewed civil war.
The move was announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who stated that South Sudan has failed to cooperate with repatriation efforts. “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 said, adding that “South Sudan’s transitional government has failed to fully respect this principle.” He further asserted, “It is time for the transitional government of South Sudan to stop taking advantage of the United States.”
In addition to revoking existing visas, the US will also block the entry of any South Sudanese nationals — a dramatic step that marks the first time all passport holders from one country have been targeted since President Donald Trump returned to office on 20 January. The policy is part of a broader intensification of immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.
The decision casts uncertainty over South Sudanese residents in the US who had previously been granted “temporary protected status” (TPS) under former President Joe Biden, allowing them to stay temporarily due to dangerous conditions in their home country. That designation is set to expire on 3 May.
So far, the transitional government in South Sudan has not issued a response to the visa revocation. The country, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011, has long struggled to establish stable governance and deliver essential public services. Ongoing instability and underdevelopment have left its roughly 11 million citizens heavily dependent on international aid — much of which has been slashed under recent US foreign assistance cuts.
Concerns about renewed conflict in South Sudan have been growing. While the 2018 peace agreement formally ended a five-year civil war that killed an estimated 400,000 people, the power-sharing deal between President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar has not been fully implemented.
Last month, political tensions deepened after Machar was arrested for allegedly attempting to incite rebellion, prompting his party to declare the peace agreement collapsed. Violence has since flared between government forces and armed opposition groups.
The risk of a return to full-scale war has drawn international alarm. In late March, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged global and regional actors to act swiftly to stop South Sudan from falling “over the abyss” into renewed conflict.
In response to recent unrest, several Western nations have closed their embassies in Juba or reduced diplomatic staff, with the US among those scaling back operations.
