17/08/2025
The Issue of Arab Settlements: A Historical Commentary
By Tong Chadar
Introduction
The settlement of foreign groups into a nation is not always an innocent act. Sometimes, it is a strategy. To understand the danger of unchecked settlement, let us imagine a case where 55,000 Arabs move into a country. Out of these, about 30,000 are men, and as Muslims, they are allowed to marry up to four wives. With favorable conditions for childbearing, such a community can grow into a powerful population within a short period of time.
The Mathematics of Growth
1. Men: 30,000
2. Wives: 30,000 × 4 = 120,000
3. Children: 120,000 × 12 = 1,440,000
Total population = 1,590,000 settlers.
This is how 55,000 people can multiply into nearly 1.6 million within a generation. This growth is not simply about numbers—it is about power, influence, and survival of identity.
The Economic and Political Implications
Once their numbers expand, these settlers will not remain idle. They will be empowered financially by wealthy sponsors from abroad. Backed with money, they will buy strategic areas in towns and cities: land, businesses, transport networks, and marketplaces.
At the same time, they will collaborate with their fellow Muslims, creating a united front, while the indigenous people remain divided by tribalism and internal rivalries. This unity will give them the upper hand in trade, politics, and culture.
And history teaches us: where money flows, weapons follow. Some organizations will gladly arm them, further strengthening their influence. When natives cry out about this growing dominance, the wider international community will often ignore them, dismissing their concerns as “tribal jealousy” or “backward thinking.” By the time the danger is clear, it is already too late.
Lessons from Sudan 🇸🇩
History provides us with a painful example. The Arabs came to Sudan as simple traders. They sold salt and other goods, and at first, they were very few in number. But slowly, they gained the trust of chiefs and influential people, offering gifts, wealth, and promises.
With time, they convinced South Sudanese to join them in chasing the British away. The British left, but instead of freedom, the Arabs consolidated power. They dominated politics, the economy, religion, and the military.
It later took 21 years of bitter war and the loss of about 21 million lives before South Sudan gained independence. Think about that: 21 years of bloodshed and unimaginable suffering—all because a small group, welcomed at first, was allowed to grow unchecked. And remember, that was in a time when society was less corrupted by the love of money. Today, with people quick to sell their loyalty for personal gain, the struggle would be even harder.
The Moral Lesson
The moral lesson is simple but grave: never underestimate settlements. They may begin small and harmless—just traders, just visitors, just workers. But once their numbers multiply, once money and outside support strengthen them, they become a force that is nearly impossible to remove.
South Sudan’s history is a warning. What happened once can happen again, in any country where unity is weak and tribalism blinds the natives. Settlements are not just about population—they are about power, influence, and eventual control.
Final Thought
A nation that fails to protect its land, its unity, and its future will one day wake up to find itself a stranger in its own home. The story of Arabs in Sudan is not only history—it is a mirror held up to the present.
