South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Awan Achiek
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on Wednesday denied a report that it had held discussions with Israel to resettle Palestinian nationals from Gaza in the country.
This denial followed a report by the Associated Press on Tuesday, which stated that Israel was in discussions with South Sudan as part of a broader effort to promote mass emigration from Gaza, a region devastated by Israel’s nearly two-year offensive against Hamas.
The report cited six individuals with knowledge of the matter and claimed that Israel was discussing the resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza in the East African nation.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared that the claims were baseless and did not reflect the official position or policy of the government.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of South Sudan firmly refutes recent media reports claiming that the Government of the Republic of South Sudan is engaged in discussions with the State of Israel regarding the resettlement of Palestinian nationals from Gaza in South Sudan,” it stated.
The Ministry asserted that there are no talks or plans to resettle Palestinians from war-torn Gaza.
“These claims are baseless and do not reflect the official position or policy of the Government of the Republic of South Sudan.”
The Ministry urged all media outlets to exercise due diligence and verify information through official channels before publication.
Israel is believed to have suggested similar resettlement proposals to other African nations.
Previous reports indicated that Sudan, Somalia, and Somaliland had been approached about accepting refugees from Gaza; however, most of these countries either denied such talks or rejected them.
Egypt, which shares a border with Gaza, strongly opposes any forced displacement due to security and humanitarian concerns.
South Africa also condemned Israeli evacuation orders, particularly in Rafah, as unlawful and in violation of international humanitarian law.
