By It is reported that the South Sudan government on Saturday commended the decision of Donald Trump, the President of the United States of America, in which he recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Trump on Wednesday formally recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital city and so instructed to begin the procedure of moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.
His decision was immediately condemned by the international community and Palestinians said Washington can no longer mediate between Israel and Palestine.
On Friday 8, December 2017, citizens of Somalia and Djibouti protested in a way of showing their dissatisfaction towards Trump’s decision regarding Jerusalem, and together with their governments, promised to stand side by side with the Palestinians in their struggle.
Nevertheless, South Sudan has not spoken against Trump’s decision but commended it and sent congratulatory messages.
According to a top presidential aide in Juba, the government of South Sudan on Saturday, through its embassies, sent congratulatory messages to Donald Trump, the U.S President and the Israel Prime Minister.
‘Only hard times reveal true friends and because of this, the government of the Republic of South Sudan, on behalf of the people sent to both the U.S. President Donald Trump and the Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, congratulatory messages on the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,’ a top presidential aide informed on Saturday.
‘These messages have already been delivered and they have been received by both leaders,’ he further said.
The status of Jerusalem, which is home to sites holy to the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths, is one of the thorniest barriers to a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace.
Palestinians claim East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in 1967, for the capital of an independent state they seek in peace talks. But Israel considers Jerusalem its eternal and indivisible capital.
The South Sudanese presidential aide described the recognition of Jerusalem as a record breaking decision to congratulate President Trump and his administration.
However, the motive behind South Sudan’s congratulatory messages remains unclear.
Diplomats and analysts interpret the move as an attempt by South Sudanese government solicit sympathy from the U.S government and her allies to relax their position and views on how the current government under the leadership of President Salva Kiir was managing the affairs of the country.
Correspondent: Shamilah Namuddu