08/02/2026
Juba defends reciprocity in talks with Washington after deportee deal
South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has defended its request for the US to lift sanctions on a former senior official and to support the prosecution of opposition leader Riek Machar, among others, saying diplomatic negotiations are based on reciprocity and that talks with Washington are ongoing.
The response follows revelations that after agreeing last year to accept deportees from the United States, South Sudan sent Washington a list of requests in May 2025 that included backing for Machar’s prosecution and the lifting of sanctions on former vice president Benjamin Bol Mel, who is accused of diverting more than one billion dollars in public funds.
The requests were contained in two diplomatic communications reviewed by Radio Tamazuj last month, offering a rare glimpse into concessions some governments may seek while negotiating with Washington over deportees.
In the documents, the United States expressed “appreciation” to South Sudan for receiving the deportees and listed their names, nationalities, and the crimes for which each individual had been convicted.
In July, South Sudan became the first African country to accept third-country deportees from the United States. Rwanda, Eswatini, Ghana, and Equatorial Guinea have since also received deportees.
The eight men sent to South Sudan included nationals of Mexico, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and South Sudan. They arrived in Juba after spending weeks on a US military base in Djibouti, where a US court temporarily blocked their deportation. Six of the eight remain in Juba.
South Sudanese national Dian Peter Domach was later freed, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while Mexican national Jesus Munoz-Gutierrez was repatriated in September. Authorities have not publicly outlined any long-term plan for those still in custody. The deportations drew criticism from rights groups, who warned that South Sudan risked becoming a dumping ground.
Among the most controversial requests was a call for the lifting of US sanctions on Bol Mel, as well as support for Machar’s prosecution. Machar, the now-suspended first vice president, faces treason, murder, and other charges in a highly contentious case.
Bol Mel is accused of diverting more than $1 billion earmarked for infrastructure projects into companies he owned or controlled, according to a UN report. He wielded significant influence within the government and was viewed by some as President Salva Kiir’s likely successor until he was dismissed and placed under house arrest in November 2025.
In its communications with Washington, South Sudan also asked for sanctions on South Sudanese oil companies to be lifted “to encourage direct foreign investments,” and urged the United States to consider investing in sectors including fossil fuels, minerals, and agriculture.
Speaking during a question-and-answer session after the ministry’s monthly media briefing, foreign affairs spokesman Thomas Kenneth said the letter that entered the public domain recently was issued in May 2025 and reflected the government’s strategic interests at the time.
