South Sudan has finally agreed to allow entry into the country of a man deported by the US.
The move comes despite Juba having said the man it had denied entry was Congolese and not South Sudanese as claimed by the US.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs International Cooperation cited "existing friendly relations between South Sudan and the United States" for the change of heart.
"The Government of the Republic of South Sudan has decided to grant Mr. Makula Kintu permission to enter the country. In light of this decision, the government has instructed the relevant authorities at Juba International Airport to facilitate Mr. Kintu's arrival as early as tomorrow," the statement reads.
Kintu was denied entry into South Sudan at Juba International Airport on April 5 and April 6, 2025.
In retaliation, the US revoked all visas issued to South Sudanese passport holders with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announcing that the US would also immediately block any arriving citizens of the world's youngest country.
"It is time for the Transitional Government of South Sudan to stop taking advantage of the United States. 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.
Kintu's deportation followed President Donald Trump's immigration policy to remove unlawful migrants from the US.
South Sudanese in the US were previously granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which allows them to remain in the US for a set period.
The TPS had been due to expire by 3 May.
While explaining their refusal to accept the deportee, South Sudan's foreign ministry said Kintu was Congolese and was "returned to the sending country for further processing".
The ministry said it "deeply regrets" the blanket measure against all of the country's citizens based on "an isolated incident involving misrepresentation by an individual who is not a South Sudanese national".
But Rubio remained unmoved. He said.:
"We will be prepared to review these actions when South Sudan is in full cooperation."
In its statement indicating adherence to the deportation, South Sudan's foreign ministry said:
"The Government of the Republic of South Sudan remains committed to facilitating the return of verified South Sudanese nationals who are scheduled for deportation from the United States".
