South Sudan will dispatch a delegation to the US to facilitate the repatriation of some 137 South Sudanese nationals, according to Vice President Benjamin Bol Mel’s office.

“The Government of the Republic of South Sudan takes full responsibility for addressing this matter with the seriousness and urgency it deserves,” Bol Mel’s office said in a statement shared on X on Sunday.

A high-level delegation, headed by Finance Minister Marial Dongrin Ater, Central Bank Governor Johnny Ohisa Damian, and Civil Registry Director Elia Kosta Faustino, will collaborate closely with the US Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security to ensure an “orderly, legal, and dignified” repatriation process.

This came after Makula Kintu, an alleged Congolese deportee who identified himself as Nemeri Garang, was initially denied entry at Juba International Airport after he was deported from the US, and caused a visa row between Washington and Juba.

Access to strategic resources

South Sudan later allowed Kintu to enter the country, due to the “existing friendly relations” between both countries.

The statement called the incident “regrettable and isolated, and internal measures have since been taken to prevent recurrence of such regrettable incidents.”

“We apologize for any inconvenience caused to the United States of America and reiterate our desire to resolve this issue swiftly and in a spirit of cooperation,” it added.

It also expressed President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s commitment to maintain “warm, constructive, and positive” bilateral relations with Washington spanning all common interests.

“South Sudan is proud to stand with the United States as a partner in securing access to strategic resources vital to both South Sudan and U.S. economies and national security.”