FILE PHOTO: Prof Jok Madut Jok - courtesy

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, (Eye Radio) – A prominent U.S.-based South Sudanese academic has raised concern over the recent U.S. decision to revoke visas for South Sudanese nationals, cautioning that more than 2,000 individuals could be affected by the move.

Dr. Jok Madut Jok, a professor at Syracuse University in the United States, linked the diplomatic fallout to a “specific failure” at the South Sudanese Embassy in Washington.

The embassy, according to Dr. Jok, mistakenly certified a Congolese national as a South Sudanese citizen, which ultimately led to the individual’s deportation under false documentation.

The incident sparked outrage from U.S. authorities, culminating in U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s decision to revoke all existing visas held by South Sudanese nationals.

The U.S. also suspended the processing of new visa applications and halted the issuance of visas for holders of South Sudanese passports.

In an exclusive interview with Eye Radio, Dr. Jok explained the far-reaching implications of the U.S. decision. “This decision will now affect thousands of South Sudanese, probably up to 2,000 people,” he said.

“This decision by the U.S. government will affect me and all South Sudanese, some directly based on their visa status and others indirectly, as many people will have family members who might still be in the process of adjusting their status to permanent residency or completing their studies if they are on a student visa, and many other categories, such as refugees who came just recently and have not yet transitioned to residency in this country.”

Dr. Jok criticized the U.S. government’s swift response, arguing that Washington acted without seeking clarification from Juba.

He described the U.S. approach as a form of “collective punishment,” affecting the entire South Sudanese community in the U.S. over the actions of a single embassy official and an individual involved in immigration fraud.

“These angered the U.S., and Secretary of State Marco Rubio decided to punish South Sudan and South Sudanese by revoking all visas held by South Sudanese, cancelling any pending new visa applications, and declaring that no new visas will be issued to people holding South Sudan passports,” Dr. Jok stated.

“It seems that the U.S. impose a collective punishment for the mistakes made by one official in the embassy and a crime committed by a Congolese man.”

Despite the setback, Dr. Jok noted that the South Sudanese government had taken steps to address the situation, including offering to accept the individual, identified as Makula Kintu (who had used the name Nimeri Garang), back into the country for prosecution.

“But going forward, South Sudan has already tried to address this issue by announcing that the authorities in Juba will accept this individual to be brought back,” he said.

“This is what Juba should have done in the first place, to allow this man into the country and then prosecute him for the violation he committed by forging South Sudan immigration documents.

This would have gotten the U.S off the neck of South Sudan instead of allowing the U.S. to flex its muscle as a superpower and for South Sudan to then act under duress to retract its decisions.”

Dr. Jok also stressed the importance of reform within South Sudan’s diplomatic service, emphasizing the need for skilled professionals in key foreign missions.

“We hope that South Sudan’s decision to take the individual back will persuade the U.S. to retract the order about visas and for their diplomatic relations to be rescued,” he added.

“There is a lesson here for South Sudan, and I think this is one very important point—that the diplomatic service of South Sudan needs to be staffed with people who know this work, instead of sending people to foreign missions because they are relatives or friends, not based on skills.”

The issue continues to highlight ongoing concerns over South Sudan’s diplomatic representation and its long-term impact on relations with key international partners.