Juba launches diplomatic task force as reports detail arrests, detention and ill-treatment in Egypt, Libya and Sudan

By ifeoma Onyekachi

The government of South Sudan has formally protested what it describes as the widespread mistreatment and forced deportation of its nationals from parts of North Africa, raising fresh concerns over the safety of its citizens abroad.

Officials say South Sudanese migrants in Egypt, Libya and Sudan have been subjected to harassment, arbitrary arrest, prolonged detention and, in some cases, ill-treatment prior to their deportation.

Speaking in Juba, Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Thomas Kenneth Elisapana said the reports  affecting women, children and students point to a troubling and recurring pattern.

“We are deeply concerned by the growing number of complaints from our citizens who have faced difficult and, in some instances, inhumane conditions before being repatriated,” he said, adding that many deportees have shared similar accounts of their experiences.

In response, the government has constituted a multi-sectoral task force to coordinate its response, engage with the authorities in the affected countries and pursue diplomatic solutions aimed at safeguarding the rights and dignity of South Sudanese nationals.

The move signals a more structured intervention by Juba as it seeks to balance bilateral relations with the urgent need to protect its citizens amid rising migration pressures across the region.

Authorities also called on South Sudanese living abroad to comply with the laws of their host countries, even as diplomatic efforts intensify to address the reported abuses and improve conditions for migrants.

The development underscores broader challenges facing African migrants in transit and destination countries, where weak legal protections, conflict dynamics and irregular migration routes often expose them to exploitation and rights violations.