After accepting US deportees last year, South Sudan requested Washington’s support for prosecuting opposition leader Riek Machar.
The government also sought the lifting of sanctions against former Vice President Benjamin Bol Mel, accused of diverting over a billion dollars.
Diplomatic communications, released by the State Department, reveal South Sudan’s hopes for concessions in exchange for accepting deportees from the US.
In July, South Sudan became the first African country to receive third-country deportees, followed by Rwanda, Eswatini, Ghana, and Equatorial Guinea.
Eight deportees arrived from a U.S. military base in Djibouti, including nationals from Mexico, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and South Sudan.
South Sudanese Dian Peter Domach was released, while Mexican Jesus Munoz-Gutierrez was repatriated; six others remain under government supervision.
The deportations were criticized by rights groups, warning South Sudan could become a dumping ground for US-removed individuals.
Bol Mel, once a likely presidential successor, allegedly controlled companies receiving funds meant for infrastructure, according to a UN report.
Machar, suspended as vice president, faces charges over a violent militia attack in March, widely seen as politically motivated.
South Sudan also asked for US support for oil, minerals, and agricultural investment, aiming to attract foreign capital.
The US declined to confirm any concessions, citing diplomatic confidentiality, while South Sudan’s Foreign Ministry refused comment.
Relations have been tense, with the US threatening aid cuts over alleged obstacles to humanitarian operations in December.
The country has received roughly $9.5 billion in US aid since independence in 2011, relying heavily on foreign support amid ongoing instability.