By Yiep Joseph
President Salva Kiir has written to United States President, Donald J. Trump through U.S. embassy in Juba, for a high-level engagement to strengthen bilateral ties.
This comes at a time when relations between South Sudan and the United States face challenges, including the revocation of visas for all South Sudanese passport holders.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Monday Semaya K. Kumba, has been actively working to address these challenges.
According to a statement seen by this outlet, Minister Semaya met with United States (U.S.) Ambassador Michael J. Adler over the weekend to bolster the longstanding relationship between the two countries.
During the meeting, Minister Semaya presented Ambassador Adler with a letter from President Salva Kiir Mayardit addressed to President Donald J. Trump.
The statement highlighted this as a “symbol of goodwill” and emphasized that the letter “underscores the vital importance of high-level engagement and dialogue between the two nations.”
Both parties conveyed optimism regarding the potential for enhanced collaboration, with a mutual focus on achieving peace and sustainable development in South Sudan. This meeting followed previous discussions.
The two leaders discussed shared priorities, including peace, development, and increased cooperation.
The Foreign Affairs Minister reiterated South Sudan’s commitment to nurturing stronger ties with the United States and provided updates on the country’s current political landscape.
For his part, U.S. Ambassador Michael J. Adler affirmed the U.S. commitment and contribution toward peace and stability in South Sudan.
He stated that the U.S. continues to advocate for dialogue among all parties to resolve grievances peacefully rather than through violence.
President Salva Kiir recently directed the country’s Foreign Affairs Minister to intensify efforts in strengthening ties with the international community.
President Kiir called on the newly appointed Minister “to pursue a more assertive foreign policy aimed at strengthening South Sudan’s ties with regional and international partners.”
Kiir’s call comes as the country continues to face diplomatic hurdles, such as the recent revocation of visas for all South Sudanese passport holders by the United States. The U.S. cited South Sudan’s refusal to repatriate some of its citizens removed from the U.S. as the reason for the visa revocation.
Despite several efforts by the South Sudan government to meet the U.S. demand, including agreeing to repatriate some citizens, the visa revocation has not been rescinded.
In addition to the visa issue, the reported closure of some embassies, such as the German embassy, underscores growing international concern over the stability in South Sudan.
Some stakeholders have urged the government to fully implement the 2018 peace agreement and restore peace to the country to build stronger relationships with the international community.