The US said on Saturday it would cancel all visas held by South Sudan's passport holders, over its failure to accept the return of its repatriated citizens.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has accused governments of “using the United States.”
“All countries must accept the return of their citizens in a timely manner when other countries, including the United States, try to eliminate them,” he said.
The decision comes when many in Africa fear that South Sudan will return to a civil war that killed 400,000 people between 2013 and 2018.
In addition to canceling the visa, Rubio said Washington would block new visas “to prevent South Sudan passport holders from entering the United States.”
He added that the US is “ready to review these actions when South Sudan is fully cooperating.”
Since taking office, US President Donald Trump's administration has taken aggressive steps to strengthen immigration enforcement.
This includes the repatriation of people who are considered illegally in the country.
Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, had set the designation set for May 3, 2025 to grant “Temporary Protection Status” (TPS) for South Sudanian citizens.
TPS is given to foreigners who have opposed deportation and are unable to safely return home due to war, natural disasters or other “extraordinary” conditions.
Last week, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged regional and international leaders to prevent South Sudan from falling into “deep by” in another civil war.
This week, African Union mediators arrived in Juba's South Sudan capital for consultations aimed at avoiding a new civil war.
The rise in tension comes after the first vice president, Riek Machar, was put under house arrest last week.
