S. Sudan ambassador issues fresh guidelines to nationals, students in Uganda

The ambassador of South Sudan in Uganda, HE Simon Juach Deng has asked all South Sudanese nationals and students in Uganda to always move with their valid identification documents to avoid likely clashes with Ugandan immigration officers.

The ambassador’s directive comes barely a week after over 15 South Sudanese were rounded up and detained by Ugandan immigration officers. However, this publication has learnt that 14 of the detainees were released after a swift intervention by the South Sudanese embassy.

Ambassador Deng also dismissed the earlier social media report indicating that their nationals were kidnapped, saying that the victims were legally detained during a routine operation by the immigration authorities.

“It was not a kidnap case but a normal police operation to check the immigration status of foreigners. Equally, the lives of South Sudanese are not at risk in Uganda and South Sudanese should feel free and live normal lives in Uganda,” Ambassador Deng told journalists in Kampala on Monday.

However, he asked the government of Uganda to always engage the embassy whenever such operations happen, so that the embassy can ably follow up its South Sudanese nationals who may fall victim during the routine operations on foreigners.

“We got to know about the arrest of our nationals from social media alarms, we appeal to Ugandan authorities to inform the embassy whenever they have arrested a South Sudanese national,” he said.

He further urged the South Sudanese in Uganda to regularise their legal status to avoid being harassed by authorities whenever they are checking their immigration status.

Ambassador's guidelines to the South Sudanese in Uganda

All South Sudanese nationals in Uganda are required to update our immigration status to abide by Ugandan laws.

All South Sudanese students MUST process their student pass visas through their various schools free of charge.

The visa waiver according to the East African Community charter 6/8 protocol offers Ninety (90) days visa period upon entry. All South Sudanese entering into Uganda should therefore take note of this and also ensure to request for visa extensions a few days prior to expiry of the entry visa to avoid being caught in the wrong side of the law.

All South Sudanese are encouraged to process their national documents like the Passport and National IDs to avoid the inconvenience of always having to acquire new Emergency Travel Documents.

All South Sudanese are all required to carry copies of our valid passports and valid visas wherever we go to avoid clashes with Ugandan immigration authorities.