Officials and observers said Monday that the Trump administration’s decision to revoke visas for all South Sudan passport holders added a country’s political and humanitarian challenge on the brink of civil war.
Tensions have escalated between two South Sudanian political leaders in recent weeks, especially after putting the vice president in late March after the arrest of the House of Representatives. As violence intensifies and millions of people face hunger, displacement and disease, the United States cuts its aid.
Observers say the grand visa ban shows how Washington retreated from South Sudan — a time of great need, the United States helped a country retreat nearly 15 years ago.
“There is a huge storm in South Sudan and the visa ban will only increase anxiety about all possible mistakes,” said Daniel Akech, senior analyst at the nonprofit International Crisis Group.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that he was revoking his visa for South Sudanese nationals and blocking more entry into the United States. Secretary of State Christopher Landau said on social media that South Sudan refused to accept repatriation from one of its nationals.
The Trump administration has not said whether to try to deport South Sudanese nationals whose visas have been revoked. The South Sudan government has not responded to the announcement of a visa ban, and a government spokesperson has not responded to a request for comment.
South Sudan sends relatively few travelers to the United States. According to the U.S. government data, only 46 non-immigrant visas were issued to nationals in January, while only more than 2,500 people were from neighboring Kenya.
The visa cancellation was carried out as political rifts deepened between Salva Kiir and his vice president, Riek Machar. The division threatens a fragile 2018 peace agreement that ends a five-year civil war that killed nearly 400,000 people and displaced millions.
In recent months, Sudanese troops and opposition forces allied with Machar have clashed in Juba, the capital and other parts of the country. In March, a wounded soldier from the Upper Nile State of Northeast Nile was attacked, killing a general, several officers and a crew member. According to the United Nations, the state's violence has uprooted thousands of people, some of whom fled to Ethiopia.
The Uganda government deployed its troops to South Sudan at the request of President Kiel, angering Mr. Machar and his allies. Regional diplomatic efforts have so far failed, raising concerns about the potential collapse of the government.
After years of conflict, U.S. aid cuts have also damaged reconstruction efforts. Last year, the U.S. spent $705 million on food, health, education and other programs in the country. AIDS groups say most of the funds have disappeared since the Trump administration came to power, forcing them to reduce their plans to respond to floods, cholera outbreaks and food shortages.
Juba's phone call said: “South Sudan is quickly becoming a forgotten crisis in the world.”
Mr. Akich of the International Crisis Organization said the sudden visa revocation could damage South Sudanese nationals' lives in the United States.
Many of them are students or students who are supporting families or families in refugee camps, Mr Akech said. It also includes up-and-coming stars like basketball player Khaman Maluach, who represented South Sudan last year in the Olympics and just became a freshman season at Duke Center.
Mr Akech said visa revocation should target those responsible for worsening the situation in South Sudan, rather than the broader population. “Those who should not be punished will feel pain,” he said.
South Sudanese opposition officials in the United States said on Monday they were concerned about those who might be deported.
“We are very worried that the individuals who are deported may suffer serious harm, and may even face serious harm in the hands of the government caused by these failures,” Reath Muoch Tang, a senior official of Mr. Machar’s party, said in a statement from the New York Times.
He said future U.S. actions should “focus on promoting accountability for leaders while safeguarding the lives and interests of ordinary South Sudanese citizens.”
