The U.S is one of the biggest donors to South Sudan’s humanitarian aid programs, with the total funding in 2024 standing at over $640 million.

If South Sudan is the confirmed destination, that means people from Vietnam, Mexico and elsewhere are being sent to a nation they have no link to, thousands of miles from where they want to be.

South Sudan pushed back, saying the person in question was Congolese, but later said it would allow him into the country “in the spirit of maintaining friendly relations” with the U.S.

He continued: “Cooperation between the U.S. and South Sudan is critical, both in terms of removals but also to advance the U.S. government’s humanitarian efforts in the country.