(JUBA) – Questions are being raised about the purpose and details of a recent official visit by South Sudan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Monday Semaya K. Kumba, to Israel, following a ministry statement denying reports that the trip involved discussions on the resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza.
According to updates released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the minister spent seven days in Israel between 29 July and 3 August 2025, holding meetings with senior government officials, investors, and lobby groups.
The published itinerary shows that on 29 July, the minister visited the Holocaust History Museum and Children’s Memorial in Jerusalem and met with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. On 30 July, he met Israel’s Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Eli Cohen, for talks on energy, water, agriculture, and infrastructure. He also toured Kibbutz Nir Oz and the site of the Nova music festival.
On 31 July, the minister visited Save a Child’s Heart in Holon and held meetings with Dr Ayala Wittner of the Israel–Africa Chamber of Commerce and Shiri Fein of the Israel–Africa Relations Institute. On 1 August, he received a briefing from staff at the South Sudan Embassy in Tel Aviv.
The programme continued on 2 August with a tribute to retired Israeli General David Ben Uziel for his role in supporting the Anya Nya movement during the first Sudanese civil war. On 3 August, the minister met Yossi Dagan, Head of the Samaria Regional Council, to discuss what the ministry described as “areas of mutual interest.”
On 13 August, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a brief statement rejecting reports by PBS and the Associated Press that the visit included talks with Israel on the resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza. The statement did not address the specifics of the reports or provide further details about the discussions held during the trip.
Political analyst, journalist and governance observer Ajak Deng Chiengkou said the ministry should clarify whether it disputes the existence of the sources cited by PBS and AP or whether it believes the information they reported is inaccurate. Ajak added that transparency is vital, particularly when sensitive diplomatic matters could affect South Sudan’s sovereignty and long-term foreign policy.
Civil society representatives have also questioned whether migration or resettlement matters were discussed in any form during the meetings, whether any written commitments or letters of intent were exchanged, who attended each meeting, and whether Parliament or any oversight body was informed before or after the visit.
Ajak has urged the government to reaffirm its position on the Palestinian right of return and disclose whether this was communicated during talks in Israel. He also called on the ministry to publish the full agenda, minutes, and attendance lists from the Israel trip, and to explain clearly the grounds on which it disputes the media reports.
He warned that South Sudan’s diplomatic and economic vulnerability makes transparency essential in foreign engagements and stressed that decisions taken abroad should not shape the country’s future without the participation of its citizens and elected representatives.
