United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reaffirmed diplomatic ties with South Sudan, extending best wishes on behalf of the U.S. government as the country marked its Independence Day on July 9.
Despite the diplomatic standoff that started earlier this
year over deportation disputes, Senator Rubio reaffirmed the United States'
long-standing friendship with South Sudan.
“We reaffirm the friendship between the people of our two
countries, which began decades before South Sudan’s independence in 2011,” Rubio
said in a statement published by the U.S. Department of State on Wednesday.
In April, South Sudan initially refused to receive a
deportee identified by U.S. immigration authorities as a South Sudanese
national, causing tensions between the two countries.
In response, Washington placed visa restrictions on South
Sudanese passport holders, claiming Juba violated international obligations. South
Sudan argued that the individual had no legitimate ties to the country.
However, efforts to maintain good relations are ongoing,
including an agreement for South Sudan to accept non-citizens deported from the
U.S.
On Tuesday, a day before Rubio's statement on South Sudan’s
14th Independence Day, the South Sudanese government announced that it accepted eight deportees from the U.S., most of whom are not South Sudanese
citizens, to maintain diplomatic ties with Washington.
“This development comes in the context of ongoing bilateral
engagement between the Republic of South Sudan and the United States of America
[…] This engagement aims at normalizing relations, deepening bilateral
cooperation and addressing issues of mutual concern and interest,” said Amb.
Apuk Ayuel Mayen, spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry.
Mayen announced the South Sudanese government’s commitment
to maintaining its territorial sovereignty, international obligations while
honoring duty to its people alongside a continued pursuit of peace, mutual
respect, and global cooperation.
“We look forward to continuing to work together to ensure a
more peaceful and prosperous future that benefits the people of both our
countries,” said Rubio.
South Sudan gained independence from Sudan on July 9, 2011,
but descended into conflict just two years later. Despite the unrest, the U.S.
remained engaged, continuing a friendship that began long before independence.
