
A Palestinian raises his country’s flag in the Tal Al -Sultan neighborhood of Rafah, January 20, 2025 (Hani Al -Shaer/Anatolia)
The United States and the Israeli occupation state have contacted Sudan, Somalia and the “Somaliland” region (the unlawful separate land region of Somalia) to discuss the displacement of Palestinians to it, as part of the plan of US President Donald Trump on Gaza, which has Israeli support.
The Associated Press quoted US and Israeli officials as saying that the communications included the government of Sudan and Somalia and the Somaliland Territory. Officials from Sudan said, according to the agency, that they had rejected initiatives from the United States, while Somaliland officials and Somalland told Associated Press that they were not aware of any contact.
American and Israeli officials confirmed, provided that their identities were not disclosed, the existence of contacts with Somalia and Somalia, while the Americans confirmed that there were contacts with Sudan as well, and they said that the extent of progress made by efforts or level of discussions was not clear. According to US officials, efforts to communicate with these countries began days after Trump launched his plan on Gaza, stressing that Israel was leading communications, according to “Associated Press”, which stated that “Israel and the United States have a variety of incentives – financial, diplomatic and security – to present it to these potential partners. It is a formula that Trump used five years ago when he mediates the normalization agreements with some Arab countries.”
Two Sudanese officials confirmed to the “Associated Press” that the Trump administration has already contacted the army’s government regarding receiving the Palestinians after their displacement. An official said that the communications started even before Trump’s inauguration of offers for military assistance against “Rapid Support” forces, helping to reconstruction after the war, and other incentives. The two officials confirmed that the Sudanese government rejected the idea, and one of them said: “This proposal was rejected immediately. This issue was not raised again.”
Regarding “Somaliland”, a US official participating in the efforts confirmed that the United States “is conducting a quiet dialogue with Somalia’s land on a group of areas where the United States could be useful in exchange for recognition.” As for Somalia, a Somali official denounced the country’s receipt of any contact with the reception of the Palestinians from Gaza or to hold any discussions on this matter.