South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation yesterday revealed plans to send a high-level delegation to Washington, to hold bilateral talks with the Trump administration in a bid to thaw relations with the United States which soured since outbreak of conflict in December 2013.
Apuk Ayuel Mayen, the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said they have formally written to the U.S Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, reaffirming the need to restore bilateral relations between the two countries.
“The Ministry further announces that the Honorable Minister, is planning for an official bilateral visit to the United States to engage in discussions with his U.S. counterpart on matters of mutual interest and cooperation, underscoring the government’s commitment to strengthening diplomatic, political and economic ties with the United States,” Mayen said during a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
On April 5, 2025, the U.S. Department of State announced the revocation of all existing visas and banned the issuance of any new visas for all South Sudanese passport holders. This came after the Trump administration accused the South Sudan government of refusing to take in it’s nationals who were repatriated for illegal stay in the U.S.
Meanwhile, Mayen commended the U.S embassy in Juba for facilitating the issuance of visas to the government delegation heading to Washington to attend the annual spring meetings organized by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
In a separate development, Mayen also disclosed that they are closely monitoring the situation of South Sudanese nationals in war-torn Sudan.
She said they are in close contact with the Sudanese authorities to ensure safety and protection of South Sudanese citizens in Sudan.
