South Sudanes Citizens Pay Price for Juba’s Defiance as US Revokes Visas

South Sudanese citizens have become collateral damage in a diplomatic standoff between their government and the United States, after Washington cancelled all valid US visas held by nationals of the East African country and suspended new issuances.

The move follows Juba’s refusal to repatriate its citizens who had been ordered removed from the United States, in what the State Department described as a breach of international obligations.

The decision effectively bars South Sudanese from entering the US and adds pressure on a nation already teetering on the edge of renewed conflict.

Tensions in South Sudan have spiked in recent weeks after the arrest of First Vice President Riek Machar by forces loyal to President Salva Kiir, derailing the fragile power-sharing arrangement established in a 2018 peace deal.

The arrest has triggered fears of a return to civil war, with increased military deployments, ethnic violence, and mass displacement reported across several states.

The US visa suspension is expected to hit families, students, and professionals who depend on international travel for education and livelihoods.

It also places South Sudanese residents in the US at risk of deportation, including high-profile figures such as athletes and students.

South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, gained independence from Sudan in 2011 after decades of conflict.

However, the hopes of a peaceful and prosperous future have been repeatedly dashed by political rivalries and civil unrest.

A brutal civil war broke out in 2013 between Kiir and Machar’s factions, leaving nearly 400,000 dead and millions displaced before a peace agreement was reached five years later.

Despite the 2018 deal and the formation of a unity government in 2020, the country has struggled to implement reforms and maintain security.

Inter-communal violence, corruption, and humanitarian crises continue to afflict the population, with over 70 percent relying on aid.

The US travel ban deepens South Sudan’s isolation and underscores the growing frustration among foreign powers over Juba’s governance failures.

For ordinary citizens, the impact is immediate and painful — yet another reminder that they are bearing the brunt of their leaders’ decisions.

gandae@businessdayafrica.org