South Sudan lauds visa waiver by Uganda — KULUBA, UGANDA – 2018/05/08: A South Sudanese single mother carrying her baby as she arrives at the Kuluba Refugee reception center in border region between South Sudan and Uganda on 8th May 2018. She was still holding on to her 2 metal containers which she used for cooking to feed herself and her baby while she was hiding in the forest in South Sudan before finding a chance to cross into Uganda.
The Kuluba refugee reception center is one of many reception centers in northern Uganda specially built to handle the hundreds of thousand of South Sudanese refugees influx. The reception center is where refugees are being registered by the UNHCR as refugees officially and they are only going to be staying here for 24-48 hours before being transferred to more permanent refugee settlements. (Photo by Geovien So/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

South Sudan on Friday lauded the decision by the Ugandan government to scrap visa requirements for travelers from the country.

South Sudan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement issued in Juba that the country’s nationals will now be free to travel to Uganda without a visa, adding that the move will strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two neighboring countries.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of South Sudan hails this move as a significant booster to the already existing stronger bilateral relations with the Republic of Uganda,” said the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

It said that all entry and exit points including missions and embassies abroad were expected to comply with the directive adding that Juba had also decided to waive visa requirement for Ugandan nationals in the spirit of reciprocity starting from October 4.