Tensions flared this week between South Sudan and the United States after Washington mistakenly deported a Congolese national to South Sudan—then retaliated with sweeping visa restrictions when Juba refused to accept the man.
The man, identified by South Sudanese authorities as Makula Kintu, reportedly hails from North Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). But according to U.S. officials under the Trump administration, he was deported as a South Sudanese citizen, based on documents allegedly verified by South Sudan’s embassy in Washington, D.C.
Upon arrival at Juba International Airport, however, immigration officials determined that Kintu’s travel documents were fraudulent and that he was not South Sudanese. Footage released by the government shows Kintu admitting he was born in the DRC and had been deported from the U.S. against his will.
“Our immigration procedures were followed to the letter,” said Apuk Ayuel Mayen, spokesperson for South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “This individual was not one of our citizens. We returned him to the country from which he was deported for further investigation.”
But the U.S. response was swift—and punitive. The Trump administration revoked all visas held by South Sudanese citizens, effectively banning entry into the United States, citing what it called a breach of repatriation obligations.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau posted on social media that the South Sudanese embassy had issued the man an emergency travel certificate dated February 13, 2025, verifying his nationality and birthplace in what is now South Sudan. “The certification by the embassy is final. For the South Sudanese government to now reject it is both unacceptable and irresponsible,” he wrote.
But Juba insists the mistake lies squarely with U.S. authorities.
“What we are dealing with here is a grave misstep by the United States,” Mayen countered. “A Congolese man was deported to our country based on falsified or mistaken documentation. And instead of taking responsibility, Washington is punishing an entire nation.”
Critics have slammed the U.S. action as a blunt instrument. Jok Madut Jok, a South Sudan scholar based at Syracuse University, warned that collective punishment was neither lawful nor ethical.
“If the embassy erred in verifying this man’s identity, that’s a bureaucratic failure,” Jok said. “But it does not justify barring all South Sudanese citizens from entering the U.S., many of whom may be refugees or students. On humanitarian grounds, this measure is indefensible.”
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The Trump administration’s decision has added pressure to South Sudanese nationals currently residing in the U.S. under Temporary Protected Status (TPS)—a designation granted since 2011 due to conflict and instability in the country. The current TPS extension is set to expire in May, and immigration attorneys fear the recent diplomatic fallout may affect any chance of renewal.
“This kind of retaliation sends a chilling message,” said Alexandra Ribe, a U.S.-based immigration lawyer focused on humanitarian cases. “South Sudanese nationals who have lived legally in the U.S. for years are now left in limbo because of a single case that, frankly, the U.S. mishandled.”
South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, gained independence from Sudan in 2011. Since then, it has struggled with ongoing political turmoil, including a civil war that left nearly 400,000 people dead between 2013 and 2018.
Despite current challenges at home, Juba says it remains open to cooperating with the U.S. on legitimate deportations—provided due process and accurate identification are followed.
“We’re not rejecting our people,” Mayen said. “We’re rejecting a process that attempted to offload a Congolese citizen onto our soil. That’s not cooperation—it’s coercion.”
As diplomatic channels work to untangle the mess, the real victims may be the thousands of law-abiding South Sudanese citizens now blocked from entering the U.S.—not because of who they are, but because of who someone else wasn’t.
