The Yirol Lad🇸🇸

America Must Respect South Sudan’s Sovereignty By Chol Michael Maker Friday, 4 July 2025 South Sudan’s hard-won independence stands as one of the most significant milestones in modern African history. It was not granted as a favour, but earned through decades of struggle, sacrifice and endurance. That dream of nationhood was made possible, in large part, through the principled and sustained support of the United States of America. It was the United States that championed the peace process, and helped broker the Comprehensive Peace Agreement which paved the way for the birth of our Republic. That legacy should remain a source of pride for the American people. Yet today, it risks being eroded by a quiet but deeply troubling practice: the deportation of individuals with criminal records to South Sudan, even when those individuals are not citizens of this country. If this is indeed taking place, it represents not only a violation of international norms, but also a serious affront to South Sudan’s sovereignty and dignity. Every sovereign nation has the right to determine who may enter its territory. Under international law, no country is obliged to receive deportees unless they are its own nationals. To transfer foreign criminals into a fragile, post-conflict state such as South Sudan, without legal basis or consultation, is not only unlawful, it is morally indefensible. It suggests that our nation is too small, too poor, or too politically weak to challenge such acts, as if we exist merely to absorb problems not of our making. South Sudan is not that place. We are not a dumping ground. We are a sovereign nation, still recovering from conflict, still building our institutions, and still working to restore the social fabric of our society. Our public systems are overstretched. Our local communities are already under pressure. The introduction of individuals with no legal, social or cultural ties to our country only serves to deepen the challenges we face. In many of these cases, the deported individuals appear to be stateless, undocumented, or misidentified as South Sudanese due to weak administrative processes or outdated records. Some may have acquired fraudulent documents along the way, but that does not make them the responsibility of South Sudan. A higher standard of due diligence is required — one rooted in truth, legality and mutual respect. The issue here is not only legal. It is moral, political and historical. The United States cannot afford to forget its central role in shaping South Sudan’s emergence as a nation. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement was more than a treaty. It was a promise of partnership, a commitment to shared values, and a gesture of solidarity. That promise should not be undermined by actions that disregard the sovereignty of the very nation whose independence America helped secure. Let the United States not tarnish its legacy. Let it not dismantle, through negligence or expediency, the goodwill and historical bonds built over decades. Great nations are judged not only by their strength, but by their fairness, their restraint, and their respect for the sovereign equality of others — especially those they once stood beside in their hour of need. We call on the United States government to immediately review and reconsider this practice. Deportation procedures must comply with international law and must be guided by proper identification, bilateral cooperation, and the informed consent of the receiving state. South Sudan is a young nation, but not one without dignity. We seek genuine partnership, not imposition. We embrace cooperation, not coercion. And we expect the same respect we have extended to our international partners. Let the legacy of American support to South Sudan remain untarnished. Let it be remembered not only for helping to bring peace to a wounded people, but for continuing to honour their sovereignty with justice, decency and humility.