An attempt by the United States to deport South Asian migrants to South Sudan has brought attention to the world’s youngest nation, which is experiencing a resurgence of political tensions that have troubled it for years. On Wednesday, a US federal judge stated that the deportation of migrants from the US to South Sudan “unequivocally” violated a court order requiring due process for individuals being deported to a third country.
US immigration authorities later confirmed that eight migrants from Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, Vietnam, and South Sudan were on the deportation flight, claiming they had been convicted of offenses including murder, armed robbery, and other serious crimes. South Sudan’s police spokesperson, Maj Gen James Enoka, stated that no migrants had arrived and if they did, they would be investigated and those found not to be from South Sudan would be “re-deported” to their correct country.
If the migrants do make it to South Sudan, they will find a country amid political uncertainty and renewed fighting between rival factions. South Sudan became the world’s youngest country when it gained independence from Sudan in 2011 after a referendum. Despite being rich in oil reserves, the country remains underdeveloped with most areas lacking infrastructure and over two-thirds of its population living in extreme poverty.
The country also experiences extreme flooding, which displaced 380,000 people last year. In March, authorities put Riek Machar, the country’s first vice-president and main opposition leader, under house arrest, accusing him of agitating his supporters to cause a rebellion. Earlier that month, the White Army, a community militia loyal to Machar, launched attacks against the country’s military, prompting the government to bombard areas where the group was based and arrest opposition figures.
The renewed tensions have put the fragile peace deal that ended the 2013-2018 civil war to the test, with the United Nations warning that South Sudan was on the brink of widespread conflict. The deportations come weeks after a standoff between South Sudan and the US over the US sending a Congolese man to South Sudan, claiming he was South Sudanese.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/21/south-sudan-thrust-under-spotlight-after-attempted-us-deportations
