South Sudan border police still charging Ugandans despite visa waiver

JUBA – Some Ugandans who are traveling to South Sudan are still being charged $50 by border police at Nimule despite this week’s announcement by the government in Juba that it has decided to waive visa requirement for Ugandan citizens.

Last week, the government of Ugandan waived visa requirement for South Sudan citizens and said beginning October 1, South Sudanese citizens won’t need visa to travel to Uganda as long as they have valid passport.

South Sudan later announced that it has also waived visa requirements for Ugandan citizens effective October 4, 2021.

However, some Ugandans are now complaining that they South Sudan police at the border town of Nimule are still collecting $50 dollars in violation to the visa waiver by the government in Juba.

“I reached there and they told us, if you don’t have money for the visa, you go back. You have to pay 50 dollars for the Visa. So I decided to come back because I did not have that money,” one of the Ugandans who travelled to South Sudan said.

Geoffrey Osborn Ocheng, resident district commissioner of Omuru District in Ugandan, confirmed that Ugandans were denied entry to South Sudan, the Eye Radio reported.

“They told me that, they have only seen the communication in the media. They have not yet received official communication from the ministry. So if they get it, they will immediately implement it,” Osborn explained.

A foreign ministry spokesman said in Juba that the ministry will look into the report saying directives have been made to the ministry of interior for the Ugandan citizens to be allowed into the country without visa requirements.

“I am sure our competent authorities are aware that Ugandans with valid passports are supposed to enter South Sudan free. But we are going to investigate and find out exactly whether the allegations are true,” Amb. Edward Hakim said.