Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation says his recent visit to the United States was intended to amend relations and promote South Sudan as an investment destination for American investors in oil, gas and infrastructure.
Monday Semaya, speaking unpon his return at Juba International Airport on Tuesday, he held high-level meetings at the U.S. State Department with a senior presidential advisor and deputy assistant secretary of state for African affairs in an effort to have the American government a blank visa ban for all South Sudanese passport holders.
“I was visiting the United States this time mainly to reset the bilateral relations between our two countries… to find possibilities of lifting the visa restrictions and also to coordinate our efforts in addressing the challenges facing the Republic of South Sudan within the United Nations family,” he said.
In April, the US government revoked all existing visas issued to South Sudanese passport holders and went further to ban entry of South Sudanese nationals.
The measure came after the government rejected to admit a Congolese national, identified as Makula Kintu, who had been deported to the country under a false identity of Nimeri Garang.
The government later accepted to admit the deportee an effort to ease tension with the US government.
Minister Semaya said he held meetings with American business leaders, during which he highlighted in oil, gas, minerals, and infrastructure development as investment opportunities.
“And most importantly, I was visiting the United States this time to also offer an opportunity to the United States government and the United States investors to come and invest in the Republic of South Sudan with main focus in areas of minerals, oil and gas, tourism, agriculture, and infrastructure development, among others,” he said.
According to Semaya, his proposals were received positively by U.S. officials
Two weeks ago, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed the enduring friendship between the American and South Sudanese people—a bond he said began long before South Sudan’s independence in 2011.
In a message shared via the official Facebook page of the U.S. Embassy in Juba on July 9th, Rubio extended his best wishes to the people of South Sudan on behalf of the U.S. Government.
Since gaining independence in 2011, South Sudan’s relationship with the United States has been both supportive and complex—marked by strong American backing at the outset, followed by challenges tied to governance issues, internal conflict, and humanitarian crises.
While the U.S. played a pivotal role in supporting South Sudan’s independence, ongoing instability has led to strained ties, with Washington prioritizing conflict resolution and humanitarian assistance.
For More News And Analysis About South-Sudan Follow Africa-Press
