South Sudanese youth leader denied U.S travel visa

November 21, 2017 (JUBA) – The United States immigration department declined to respond to an application made by the president of the South Sudanese national union, Albino Bol Dhieu for a travel visa, the latter said.

Dhieu, who heads a body known for organizing pro-government demonstrations, said the U.S embassy did not respond to his application until the date he was to travel elapsed.

“I applied for a visa to travel to the U.S for an official trip, but the visa was not approved until during of the time in which I was supposed to have traveled elapsed,” Dhieu told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday.

“There was no information. So I don’t know the cause. I was supposed to travel to attend community enlightenment in the United States with presidential press secretary, Ateny Wek Ateny. Because I was not granted visa, I could not travel with him. He [Ateny] left and I remained. I don’t know what this means”, he added.

The U.S embassy in Juba could not be immediately reached on the matter.

Ateny, sources at the presidency said, left for the U.S using his British acquired passport, giving him advantage over his other colleagues.

The presidential spokesperson was supposed to travel with the president of the youth union to attend a community enlightenment event, which he had earlier attended in Australia as well as in Egypt.

While in the U.S, however, Ateny will hold rallies, attend to community-organised functions, meet individuals, groups, associations and community members to brief them on the current political situation in South Sudan, in light of what recently transpired after the former chief of general staff, Gen. Paul Malong Awan, sacked in May, was placed under house arrest for months.

(ST)