05/09/2026
🕊️ A FINAL APPEAL FOR PEACE, THE LAST RECORDED MESSAGE ATTRIBUTED TO BONA MALWAL MADUT RING
Some messages are not remembered because they are loud.
They are remembered because they come at the end of a long and painful chapter.
A voice recording attributed to the late Bona Malwal Madut Ring, recorded while he was seriously ill, has resurfaced with an emotional appeal directed toward Sultan Deng Teng, an influential elder from Twic.
The message, as presented in the recording, is centred on one request:
Make peace with Ngok.
Bona reportedly appealed for an end to hostility and urged the abandonment of continued territorial claims involving areas such as Anneit and Southern Kiir. He called for forgiveness, peaceful coexistence and a return to the relationship that existed between the two communities before the conflict intensified.
He also spoke about attempts to reach Mayar Cyer, and appealed to elders and leaders to reject hate speech, incitement and messages that could push young people toward another cycle of violence.
But perhaps the most striking part of the recording is Bona’s reflection on the human cost of the conflict.
He spoke of the suffering caused by war, the deaths of young people and his unwillingness to see more members of the Twic community lose their lives.
He also reflected on his own role in the dispute and described what he experienced in spiritual terms, connecting his illness to his involvement in claims over what he referred to as “Tiop Ngok.”
Whether those words are understood as a spiritual experience, a personal reflection, a cultural expression or a metaphor, the broader message is difficult to ignore:
A conflict over land can never justify the destruction of the people who live on it.
The recording also contains a striking acknowledgement of the determination of the Ngok people. Bona reportedly reflected on expectations that people would permanently leave their homes, but described how communities protected civilians and livestock while fighters returned to defend their land.
He ultimately acknowledged that he no longer had the strength to continue the war and appealed once again for peace.
«“I am dying… Please, brother Deng Teng, make peace with Ngok.”»
Those words deserve to be heard beyond the politics of the moment.
Because the question before Twic and Ngok should not only be who was right, who was wrong, or who controls what territory.
It should also be:
How many more lives must be lost before dialogue becomes preferable to war?
Territorial questions can be addressed through law, dialogue, political processes and peaceful negotiations.
Grievances can be documented.
Borders can be discussed.
Historical claims can be debated.
But the dead cannot return to their families.
The people of Twic and Ngok have lived as neighbours and communities with deep social connections. Whatever has happened between them, there must still be a future in which children can grow up without inheriting the hatred of previous generations.
Let elders choose wisdom over incitement.
Let leaders speak responsibly.
Let communities reject hate speech.
Let the youth inherit opportunities not graves.
And let the painful lessons of the past become the foundation for a different future.
Peace is not surrender.
Forgiveness is not weakness.
Choosing life is not abandoning one’s people.
🕊️ TWIC & NGOK, LET PEACE PREVAIL.
🤝 Let dialogue replace confrontation.
❤️ Let forgiveness replace revenge.
🌿 Let the next generation inherit peace.
ABYEI EYE:
Our Land. Our People. Our Voice.
Editorial note: This publication presents and summarizes statements attributed to the late Bona Malwal Madut Ring based on the referenced voice recording. Abyei Eye has not independently verified every statement or its wider context. Readers are encouraged to consider the original recording when assessing the exact wording and meaning.
