South Sudan: South Sudan Rejects Claims of Foreigners' Expulsion Order

What the report says

South Sudan has rejected social media claims that foreigners were ordered to leave the country within seven days. According to Capital FM’s report republished by AllAfrica, Juba County Caretaker Commissioner Kalisto Lado Faustino Nyigilo said on Tuesday that he had not issued any expulsion order and did not have the authority to remove foreign nationals from South Sudan.

Lado said the government remains open to foreigners who enter legally for business, residence, humanitarian work and other permitted activities. At the same time, he repeated his view that foreign nationals should stay out of small-scale retail work in Juba, including motorcycle taxi operations and the sale of basic food items. He argued that larger ventures such as wholesale trade, factories and companies would be more appropriate and could create jobs for South Sudanese citizens.

The commissioner said his comments were meant to protect opportunities for local youth and women, not to target foreigners. He also pushed back on suggestions that the policy amounts to hostility toward investment or non-citizens. In a separate part of the report, Lado said roadside business removals in Juba were aimed at clearing roads, moving vendors from road reserves and improving order rather than carrying out indiscriminate demolitions.

The episode highlights the sensitivity of foreign participation in local commerce in South Sudan, especially in informal retail sectors. For foreign residents and investors, the clarification appears intended to reduce confusion while reinforcing the government’s preference for larger-scale, job-creating investment.