13/08/2025
Breaking News: South Sudan and Israel to Establish Refugee Camps in Kajo Kaji
The governments of South Sudan and Israel have reached an agreement to establish a refugee camp in Kajo Kaji, a strategic location near the border with Uganda. The camp will host refugees that Israel intends to relocate, though the exact number of people has not yet been disclosed.
Kajo Kaji has recently been at the center of a territorial dispute after Ugandan troops allegedly entered the area without authorization, prompting concerns in Juba about illegal occupation. South Sudanese authorities voiced fears that the Ugandan presence could threaten stability in the region.
In response, Israeli officials reportedly assured South Sudan that construction of the camp would only proceed once the area is free from any Ugandan military threat. Israel has also pledged to work with South Sudan to ensure that Kajo Kaji remains under full South Sudanese sovereignty before any infrastructure is built.
Meanwhile, Uganda has been strengthening ties with Egypt, with the Israeli project indirectly becoming part of high-level talks between Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during a recent visit to Cairo. According to diplomatic sources, Egypt—which has historically opposed an Israeli presence in East Africa—urged Museveni to withdraw from any South Sudanese territory that may have been occupied, even if unintentionally.
A senior South Sudanese government official revealed that Israel’s choice of Kajo Kaji was partly strategic. The location allows Israel to keep a close watch on Uganda, a country whose relations with Israel have been tense since the days of former Ugandan leader Idi Amin Dada, who was openly hostile to Israel in the 1970s.
The planned refugee camp could become a focal point of regional geopolitics, as it intersects issues of territorial sovereignty, international alliances, and the delicate balance of power in East Africa.
There exists historical ties between Israel and South Sudan
Israel and South Sudan share a long history of cooperation that dates back to the 1970s. During the early years of the South Sudanese struggle for independence, Israel was the only Middle Eastern nation to openly assist the southern rebels, especially after their main weapons supply line through Ethiopia was cut off. While much of Europe and the United States dismissed the SPLA/M as a communist rebellion, Israel continued to provide support.
Through strong lobbying efforts, Israel played a key role in persuading Western Christian groups to back South Sudan’s cause—emphasizing that the movement was neither communist nor capitalist, but rather rooted in Christian beliefs, Western-aligned cultural values, and resistance to forced assimilation into Islamic and Arab nationalist ideologies. These ideologies were viewed as a strategic threat not only to South Sudan but also to Western nations and the State of Israel.
Given this historic alliance, it is unsurprising that Israel would be willing to assist South Sudan in defending its territorial integrity, particularly against encroachment by neighbors such as Uganda or Kenya. Some in Juba believe these countries assume South Sudan is militarily weak and therefore unlikely to retaliate.
The pressing question now is whether this renewed partnership will compel Uganda to withdraw from any disputed South Sudanese territories—or whether Kampala will risk a confrontation that could involve both Israel’s military capabilities and the South Sudanese army.
