South Sudan backtracks on decision to not accept deportee from US in visa row with Washington

South Sudan has reversed its decision of refusing the entry of a man deported from the US on its territory "in the spirit of friendly relations" with Washington, according to the South Sudanese government.

The two countries have been in a visa row after the US imposed a blanket visa ban on South Sudan on the 5th of April and accused the country of failing to accept its citizens deported from American territory in "a timely manner".

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio furthermore said that South Sudanese citizens would be prohibited from entering US territory.

The transitional government in Juba had then initially refused the entry of a man that it said was a citizen of the Democratic Republic of Congo and not of South Sudan, before backtracking on its decision on Tuesday.

Under President Donald Trump, the US has considerably ramped up its enforcement of immigration rules and has cracked down on immigrants it considers to have entered the country illegally.

The row between the two countries also comes as fears have been growing that South Sudan might redescend into civil war in the face of increasing political instability.

Juba's First Vice-President Riek Machar has recently been placed under house arrest, after President Salva Kiir accused him of instigating a new revolt.

Fighting has broken out in one part of the country, and Washington ordered all its non-emergency staff to leave the country last month.