The Government of South Sudan has launched a strong clarification following the deportation of a non-citizen to its capital and the United States’ swift revocation of visas for South Sudanese nationals.
On April 5 and 6, 2025, U.S. authorities deported a man identified as Makula Kintu under the false identity of “Nimeri Garang,” to Juba International Airport.
However, upon arrival, South Sudanese immigration officers determined that the individual was not South Sudanese but rather a Congolese national from the Ema tribe in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
This diplomatic rift sparked immediate tension between Juba and Washington triggering a visa cancellation for South Sudanese passport holders by the U.S. a decision South Sudan now calls “hasty,” “misinformed,” and “based on an isolated incident.”
In official press releases issued today, the South Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of International Cooperation condemned the deportation labeling it a breach of immigration verification standards.
Juba asserts that Mr. Kintu admitted during his immigration interview to being Congolese and having been transported to South Sudan “against his will.”
The government claims this confession is backed by video evidence, which has been submitted to the U.S. Embassy in Juba and the Department of State in Washington, D.C.
According to official records, Makula Kintu was born on April 2, 1977, in the Democratic Republic of Congo and previously entered the U.S. illegally in 2003 after having been deported once before in 2009.
South Sudanese authorities stress that their country was wrongly used as a destination for someone it never claimed nor recognized as a citizen.
In what South Sudan views as an overreaction, the U.S. government responded by revoking all valid visas held by South Sudanese nationals citing Juba’s alleged “failure to receive deported citizens in a timely manner.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has disputed that claim pointing out that out of 23 individuals flagged for deportation, South Sudan successfully verified, processed and received 21.
The only two rejections, it states, were for individuals who turned out to be non-South Sudanese and Makula Kintu being one of them.
“This is not just an error, it’s an injustice,” a government spokesperson said. “One man’s false claim should not lead to the punishment of an entire population.”
The government’s statement strongly reaffirmed its commitment to cooperate with U.S. authorities, but not without pointing fingers.
Officials lamented the “broad revocation” of visas warning that it could jeopardize the long-standing diplomatic, educational and developmental ties between the two countries.
South Sudan emphasized its consistent record of collaboration on immigration and deportation matters particularly through its embassy in Washington, D.C., which issued emergency travel documents for 21 out of the 23 names sent by the U.S.
“Let’s not turn one case of misrepresentation into a diplomatic meltdown,” reads a section of the official communiqué. “South Sudan is ready to resolve this swiftly and fairly.”
At the heart of this international mistake is a single man whose actions and assumed identity have triggered a political storm.
In a world increasingly plagued by migratory identity crises, this case raises sharp questions about vetting processes, biometric verification and international cooperation.
The Republic of South Sudan has urged the U.S. government to reconsider its sweeping punitive measures and return to the table for what it calls “constructive dialogue rooted in mutual respect and factual accuracy.”
