Dear people of South Sudan,
I know that most of you are already opposed to the idea of relocating Palestinians to our country. But for our rejection to be strong and respected in the world, it must not be based on race, religion, or any form of prejudice. It must be rooted in justice, law, human dignity, and in lessons from our painful history. These are the points we, as South Sudanese citizens, can use to explain why Palestinians should remain on their land or why Israel should find another arrangement that does not involve our country.
Right to self-determination
The Palestinian people, just like us South Sudanese, are recognized under international law as having the right to self-determination. Forcing them to relocate to South Sudan strips them of that right and makes us complicit in denying another people their homeland. This is the same right we fought for and the world recognized in 2011 when we gained independence (UN General Assembly Resolution 2625, 1970). To accept Palestinians here would mean betraying the principle that gave us our nation.
Right of return
The United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194 (1948) affirms the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and lands. If we allow them to be settled here, it would destroy that right forever. Just as our people once lived in refugee camps in Uganda, Kenya, and Ethiopia but always dreamed of coming home, Palestinians, too, must keep their land and their right to return intact.
Historical Example of the Jewish People
History itself teaches us that forced exile never ends. More than 2,700 years ago, the Jewish people were conquered and carried into exile, scattered across distant lands. Yet they never forgot their homeland. They fought across generations and eventually re-established their state in present-day Israel. If Palestinians are removed from their ancestral land now, they too will fight across centuries, and wherever they are placed, they will struggle to return. If they are brought to South Sudan, our land becomes a future battleground between Palestinians and Israel.
South Sudan’s fragile security
Our country is still recovering from war. Peace is fragile, and millions of South Sudanese remain displaced internally and abroad. Bringing Palestinians here would import a new conflict into a nation that is not yet stable. Instead of building peace, it would plant the seeds of more war in our land.
Humanitarian Burden
South Sudan is already facing hunger, disease, and economic collapse. According to the UN World Food Programme, over 9 million of our people need humanitarian aid. Schools, hospitals, and services are already failing. How can we, who cannot provide for our children, take responsibility for another displaced population from another land?
Violation of international law
International humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, prohibits the forcible transfer of populations. If South Sudan accepts Palestinians as part of a political deal, it becomes an accomplice in ethnic cleansing. This would stain our reputation and could even expose our leaders to international legal consequences.
Exploitation of weak states
Allowing Palestinians to be relocated here shows the world that South Sudan can be used as a dumping ground for other people’s conflicts. This is not only unfair but dangerous. It sets a precedent that our land and sovereignty can be traded away in secret deals without the consent of our people.
Respect for our history of displacement
We South Sudanese know the pain of displacement. Millions of us lived in camps in Kakuma, Bidi Bidi, Gambella, and Khartoum. We were scattered across borders, but we never gave up our dream of returning home. Out of respect for our suffering, we cannot endorse the permanent uprooting of other people. Just as we fought to reclaim our land, Palestinians must be allowed to remain on theirs.
Risk of diplomatic isolation
If South Sudan agrees to host Palestinians, it will face political backlash from the Arab League, the African Union, and much of the international community. We would be seen as partners in a crime against Palestine. This could mean sanctions, economic boycotts, and the loss of international support that our young nation desperately needs.
Moral responsibility
Finally, this is about human dignity. Palestinians deserve to live in freedom on their land, not as exiles forced into another people’s country. Just as we rejected being ruled by Khartoum and claimed our dignity as a people, Palestinians must also be allowed to fight for theirs. Our moral duty is not to help erase their homeland but to stand on the side of justice, as we once asked the world to stand with us.
Dear brothers and sisters, this is not about race, religion, or prejudice. It is about justice, law, history, and the dignity of all people. If the world could recognize our right to independence in 2011, we cannot now deny Palestinians the same right to their land. For this reason, South Sudan must reject any plan to resettle Palestinians here. Their future is in Palestine, not in South Sudan.
Dr. Deng Bol Aruai Bol is the Leader of the SSPLM/SSPLA and former Chairman of the Red Army Foundation. He can be reached at dengbolaruaibol@gmail.com.
The views expressed in ‘opinion’ articles published by Radio Tamazuj are solely those of the writer. The veracity of any claims made is the responsibility of the author, not Radio Tamazuj.