South Sudan: End deportees’ arbitrary detention

On July 4, two men were deported from a US military base in Djibouti to Juba, South Sudan, as part of the United States government’s mass deportation campaign. Since then, they have been held in an unknown location.

Credible reports suggest that the National Security Service is holding them, but authorities have not confirmed their whereabouts. Their lawyers have received no official information and have not been allowed to meet with them.

Amnesty International is calling on South Sudanese authorities to immediately disclose where the men are being held, ensure they have regular and private access to their lawyers, and explain the legal basis for their detention.

Here’s what you can do:

Write to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation urging him to:

• Immediately disclose the whereabouts of Nyo Myint and Enrique Arias Hierro.
• Grant them regular, private, and unmonitored access to their legal representatives, including local counsel.
• Clarify the legal grounds for their detention without delay.
• Ensure that the two men are not forcibly sent to their countries of origin, or to any other country, if they face a real risk of persecution or serious human rights violations. Forcible return in such circumstances would breach the principle of non-refoulement under international human rights law.

Mass deportations from the United States

Earlier this year, U.S. President Donald Trump pushed forward a mass deportation campaign targeting millions of immigrants and people seeking safety. As part of this campaign, eight men; only one of whom was South Sudanese; were deported to South Sudan after weeks of legal battles. Two of the men have since been released, including Jesús Muñoz-Gutiérrez, who was repatriated to Mexico.

The U.S. government has the authority to regulate immigration, but under international law it must do so in a way that does not create or worsen human rights violations. Its current deportation practices raise serious concerns about compliance with these obligations.

Political bargains behind deportations

In July 2025, Politico reported that deportations to South Sudan may be linked to efforts by the South Sudanese government to secure political and financial concessions. These include lifting sanctions on First Vice President Benjamin Bol Mel, revoking visa restrictions on South Sudanese nationals, reactivating a government bank account at the New York Federal Reserve, and gaining U.S. support for prosecuting First Vice President and opposition leader Riek Machar, who remains under house arrest.

However, in September 2025, a South Sudanese news outlet reported that authorities denied the existence of any formal agreement with the U.S. to receive third-country nationals.

Shrinking civic space in South Sudan

Civic space in South Sudan remains severely restricted. People engaging in peaceful and legitimate civic activities face arbitrary arrests, prolonged detention, torture, and even extra-judicial killings. Security forces, particularly the National Security Service (NSS), routinely harass and target civil society members and individuals critical of the government.

On July 3, 2024, Parliament passed the National Security Service Act 2014 (Amendment) Bill 2024. This law expands the NSS’s already abusive powers, including the authority to arrest individuals with or without a warrant.

Abuses by security forces

Since the conflict began on December 15, 2013, the NSS has become increasingly powerful, operating as a de facto police force serving political elites. Together with the Military Intelligence Directorate, the NSS has detained hundreds of people, mostly men, across detention facilities nationwide.

Amnesty International has documented cases of torture and other ill-treatment in at least three major detention centres in the capital, Juba. People have been detained and threatened simply for expressing critical opinions or being perceived as opposing government interests. Even relatives of detainees can face surveillance or detention if their speech or behaviour draws the disapproval of the NSS.

Please take action as soon as possible until March 9, 2025. The UA will be duly updated should there be the need for further action.