The now retired Israeli General, Ben-Uziel, worked to foster cooperation among different districts and tribal leaders within South Sudan during the struggle, realizing that unity was essential for their cause.

By James Chatim

South Sudan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Monday Semaya Kumba, on Saturday, paid a visit to one of the Israeli retired generals, David Ben Uziel, who stood behind the South Sudanese people during the first civil war of Sudan.

Kumba, who is in Israel on an official visit, commended General David for his role and contributions to South Sudan’s history.

In 1969, General David Ben Uziel, nicknamed Tarzan and “General John,” was sent to southern Sudan as the head of a team to examine whether there was room for cooperation, as part of the Israeli move to build alliances.

“General John,” as he was known in southern Sudan, played a remarkable role in the South Sudan struggle for independence in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Serving as a Mossad operative, Ben-Uziel led a courageous and clandestine mission to support the South Sudanese rebels who were fighting against the northern Sudan government during the first Sudanese civil war. Ben-Uziel’s team constructed a makeshift runway deep within a forest, allowing vital supplies to be parachuted in from Kenya.

These supplies included medical equipment, vaccines, uniforms, and weapons.

The culmination of their efforts was the signing of the peace agreement in 1972, mediated by Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie in Addis Ababa. Although the country remained united, the agreement brought greater autonomy with the establishment of the Southern Sudan Autonomous Region, and division of military and police forces, ushering in a period of relative peace until 1983.

Ben-Uziel’s mission extended beyond military support. He worked to foster cooperation among different districts and tribal leaders within South Sudan, realising that unity was essential for their cause. His work was instrumental in the Anyanya’s struggle for autonomy.

When Ben-Uziel entered Sudan in 1969, he already possessed significant photography experience and carried two cameras, one for colour and another for black-and-white photography. However, the purpose of taking cameras to Sudan in 1969 was primarily documentation and information gathering rather than propaganda. These images were not publicly shared, but selected photos were used in Mossad publications for the Anya-Nya.

These publications aimed for authenticity and were disseminated as genuine Southern Sudanese materials through Israeli channels in Africa, concealing Israeli involvement in their creation

Decades later, South Sudan achieved its independence after the 2011 South Sudanese independence referendum. President Salva Kiir, himself a former fighter in the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), expressed profound gratitude to Israel and specifically to “General John.” Ben-Uziel was appointed as South Sudan’s representative in Israel.

After the independence in 2011, Israel’s contributions to South Sudan have focused on strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation in various sectors, including development cooperation, education, culture, agriculture, water management, health, and waste management.

Israel has been involved in capacity building in medicine and agriculture, and has supported the Save a Child’s Heart Initiative, which provides life-saving heart surgeries for South Sudanese children.

Save a Child’s Heart Initiative, supported by Israel, has facilitated life-saving heart surgeries for children in South Sudan, demonstrating a direct impact on the well-being of individuals and families.