![Director General of South Sudan Directorate of Civil Registry, Nationality, Passports and Immigration, Gen. Atem Marol Biar. [Photo by Alex Bullen via City Review]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Biar1.jpg?resize=413%2C300&ssl=1)
The government of Uganda last week announced that South Sudanese will not be required to obtain entry visa effective October 1.
Ugandan First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs Rebecca Kadaga also said South Sudan has until October 31 to reciprocate the decision.
“That means South Sudanese traveling to Uganda will be free to enter Uganda as long as they carry a valid passport and meet other health conditions for travelers,” said.
According to Kadaga, the decision follows the summit of the East African Community Heads of State in Nairobi in February 2021, when President Salva Kiir appealed to the neighboring countries for a visa waiver, particularly between South Sudan, Kenya, and Uganda.
However, South Sudan’s Director-General of Civil Registry, Nationality, Passports and Immigration, Gen. Atem Marol Biar, said the government hasn’t yet received formal notice from Uganda regarding the visa waiver.
“Yes, I am aware and saw the news that was published by some media outlets, but that is a communication from their (Uganda’s) side, per now I can say let us not rush, if any decision will be reached [on visa waiver], it will be communicated to [the] public,” he said, according to City Review online newspaper.
“We follow the procedures, just like what happened between South Sudan and Kenya. What normally happens is that in such issues, we as immigration department are supposed to get official communication from the top leaders,’’ he added.
The top immigration official further said “it is only the office of the president that can give directives, so like me I cannot talk about it now but I am hopeful that there is communication going on.”
“It is too early for me to talk about it, I will only talk when that time comes,” Gen. Marol concluded.
I don’t like the content of the speach and the manner in which the communication was made. It was a command language, as if our country and its leaders are puppets to Ugandan government. Secondly such a communication should not have gone through the media but formal channels such as the ministry of foreign affairs. We should not waive visa fees for Ugandans, their government should first apologise for demeaning South Sudan government