WASHINGTON – Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Saturday that all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders were being revoked by the United States. He accused the government of South Sudan of “taking advantage of the United States.”
Rubio emphasized the importance of countries accepting the return of their citizens promptly when requested by another country. He stated that South Sudan’s transitional government had not adhered to this principle.
Apart from the visa revocations, Rubio also mentioned that the U.S. would be halting any further issuance of visas to prevent entry into the United States by South Sudanese passport holders.
South Sudan’s political landscape is fragile and recent violence between government troops and armed opposition groups has escalated tensions.
Last week, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged regional and international leaders to prevent South Sudan from falling “over the abyss” into another civil war.
Guterres warned that the world’s newest and one of its poorest countries is facing “a security emergency” with intensifying clashes and a “political upheaval” culminating with last week’s arrest by the government of First Vice President Riek Machar.
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