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RESPONSE TO ENG. JOSEPH GAMA OKELLO: Context and Consideration of Palestinians

By Abunerry, Ayella John Bosco

19th August 2025

On 18th August 2025, Eng. Joseph Gama stated, “I'm for the resettlement of Palestinians in South Sudan. It must be organised with opportunities for them to integrate into the communities. Those of you who have been refugees and got opportunities to resettle in Australia, America, Canada, etc., will agree with me. Our perceptions from the liberation struggle against the Arabs shouldn't cloud our hearts for humanity.”

I wish to respond to Eng. Gama based on three of his strengths: his intellect, his government authority as an official, and his role as a community leader. This response is not an attack but rather rooted in mutual love for patriotism and a correct understanding of what a public figure like him should embody.

1. As an intellectual, Gama can analyse situations in the Middle East and reach tangible conclusions. However, he has diminished his intellectual stature. He did not distinguish between the need to relocate Gazans by Israel, which acts independently under expansionist policies, and a resettlement case handled by UNHCR. Gama did not specify whether the Palestinians' situation is one of refugees or forced resettlement. I remind Gama that no country objects to hosting refugees if it is a call from UNHCR, the official refugee agency. In 2021, Uganda accepted Afghan refugees through an agreement between the Ugandan government (the people) and the UNHCR. That was not a forced resettlement. Is Afghanistan a Christian nation?

2. As a community leader, Gama advocates for the integration of Palestinians into local communities. But what does integration mean? And who is to integrate with whom? AI defines integration as the process of combining or incorporating individuals or groups into a larger community. In this context, Gama proposes a permanent settlement of Palestinians in South Sudan. Is this feasible? Gama’s experience with the forced relocation of a community that integrated peacefully and accepted the host system, culture, and values might guide us. But which community is willing to integrate Palestinians into their system, culture, and values? Has Gama persuaded his community to support this challenging development?

3. Gama also compared South Sudanese in diaspora to the current situation, saying, “Those of you who have been refugees and got opportunities to resettle in Australia, America, Canada, etc., will agree with me.” Gama did not specify who took these refugees to their current locations, but implied that Palestinians should be equated with South Sudanese in Australia, Canada, etc. This is a faulty comparison. A person is considered a refugee only after leaving their country for safety. Palestinians are not refugees but internally displaced persons with the right to choose where to live. They are protected by their government, unlike in Israel, which forcibly expels them.

4. Gama warned opponents of his opinion against Islamophobia and called for humanity: “Our perceptions from the liberation struggle against the Arabs shouldn't cloud our hearts for humanity.” While it is true that South Sudanese fought against an Islamist regime, Gama should also understand the principles that define a refugee, an asylum seeker, and forced resettlement. There are already Muslim refugees in South Sudan, including Darfurian refugees. Why then should South Sudan deny Palestinians because of Islamism? South Sudanese by nature are number one in humanitarianism.

It is evident that while I respect Eng. Gama’s opinion, we must exercise caution with decisions that could impact us for generations. Biblically, Israel erred when God commanded them to destroy all Canaan inhabitants to prevent them from straying; failure to do so has led to the consequences they face today (as detailed in the Book of Judges). South Sudan is not ready to be part of these problems

As an intellectual, a government official, and a community leader, Gama is fully capable of advocating for this difficult judgement, since nothing is impossible in South Sudan. I kindly encourage my brother to reconsider his proposal, lest we remain too late, as the people of EES. We believe in your ability to achieve the unthinkable and the impossible, but this decision will be a betrayal of the people you serve.

While no one opposes saving refugee lives, I firmly oppose the forced resettlement of Palestinians in South Sudan by Israel, regardless of the terms. Let the UNHCR decide with the refugees where to settle them. The communities in South Sudan have enough problems to solve without adding more.

The Writer is a writer, critic, and teacher-pastor; defending the poor is my ambition. Psalm 82:2-4. 

Reach me through email. 👉👉👉 

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