20/10/2025
The liberation struggle was broader to fit into just one man’s story . All South Sudanese have stories to tell
Dear Nephew Agel Ring Machar
October 20th, 2025
I read your article posted on your Facebook Wall, dated October 19th, 2025, entitled “NO CHILD CAN ESCAPE THE REALITY OF THE DECISION OF THEIR PARENTS”. A response to my statement during the memorial service of the renowned Administrator, the late Santino Malong Deng Mading, held at Medan Rainbow, on October 11th, 2025, in which I addressed a particular behavior of certain young men, and it seemed you took it personal. I never knew you would insult me one day.
I took more than 24hrs reflecting on a decision whether to respond or not. I first thought your account was hacked, until I saw your persistence in comments under your post. I don’t know why you took my statement personal? Was there anything you would to tell me all this time — which you have got it now? I don’t insult someone younger than me, even when he/she insults me. My upbringing is ensuring that all the time.
For a relative like you who grew up where I wasn’t present, I have nothing even to insult you with. If, I am forced to, in self defense I would be telling you about the people I know in your family. I would be disgrace to my family, if I insult relative. Tingwar Adhar Arop was our nurse when I was in Nyamelel Primary School in Aweil West while she was based in Pamat Healthcare Centre in Duluit Bol Deng in Aweil north. You weren’t born yet. So, I don’t know you.
As one of young men I always cherish and referred to, as Jieng-culturally oriented despite town birth and upbringing, I thought you don’t trade insults against elders unprovoked. What made you to insult me when you could have engaged me on issues? My statement was not directed against your own struggle. I was addressing an issue against someone who told me that, “he is an SPLM by blood. I wasn’t disparaging the Red Army. Like many other institutions of liberation, the contribution of the Red Army can be judged base on the merits of each case. They shouldn’t in one person’s table.
I was surprised how could a politico-military organization that was formed, provide the DNA for human being to have its blood? It seems some people are exaggerating things too much. Anybody, like my nephew Ring Ring Machar who shot himself, had lost a brother or sister or mother or father in a war, and this shouldn’t be emotionally personalized. It can’t be true, that my statement has disparaged anyone.
I am aware, the struggle that liberated this country wasn’t from one segment of the society, or one organization. Each individual had his/her own experiences of the liberation. There was no place inside the Sudan that the successive regimes left free for South Sudanese. The same way those who went to Ethiopia and settled in the refugee camps used to die, is the same way the IDPS in the North died — even brutally.
You unnecessarily accused me of using fake Bible, fake cross to cone and steal from unsuspected people on the streets of Suk Araby”. Get your facts well my nephew. I never wear cross and hold Bible in a bid to evangelize anyone, in good or bad way. You don’t know me. You only relied on gossip from envies. The same way we are told about certain people in the bush, is the same way some individuals would tell you rubbish about someone in Khartoum.
I don’t like to insult others, or even to speak about myself. But since, you have chosen to know my history, then here is the right one. I went to Khartoum in 1986, as Junior Book-keeper. In Coordination Office of Bahr el Ghazal in Khartoum, I was assigned as Cashier to pay Ministry of Education which was the largest department in the entire Bahr el Ghazal Region with more than 2,000 staffs to pay every month.
I was working with sons of Twic Mayardit that could be consulted for further information. Amongst them; Eng. Bol Ring Muorwel, Mr. Cirillo Thuou, now Moulana Manyang Kolang in Australia and Amb. Cyer Mayar Cyerdit. I was 22 years old, and already had a car and house with people to take care of. I did not have to cone or steal from unsuspecting Arabs in the market. I worked there until 1991 — exactly 2 years since the arrival of National Salvation to power under then Islamic military dictator Omar el Bashir.
I briefly traveled to Egypt just to come back in 1992, to find that all staffs in any institution of government must take training as members of Popular Defense Forces before coming back to work. I resented. I was fired on October 17, 1992. I briefly stayed jobless while refusing to join NCP. I took uncle Lawrence Lual’s children to Egypt; Nyanut and Akuei and returned to Khartoum in 1993 in an attempt to find a way to Southern Sudan. In Egypt there was no way to have obtained the visa to Kenya or Uganda that were at some point akin to looking for paradise.
I flew to Wau on December 1993, took a train — the last train that left Wau for Khartoum through Aweil. I alighted in Aweil, joined teachings staff at Comboni and Aweil Intermediate to avoid suspension of the NCP security while I find the way to the bush.
Aweil was constantly cordoned off and it wasn’t easy to leave. I managed to leave on February 18, 1994. I went to Commander Paul Malong Awan’s mobile H/qs in Pariak, Wun-Anei in Aweil East. Sometimes , we move to Akon, Awan Chan of Gogrial. In June 17th, 1994, I was issued a departure order to go to liberated areas because NBGS was Marhalieen moving zone and it was dangerous for civilian. The current Chief of SSPDF Dr. Paul Nang Majok who was an Adjutant that wrote my departure order.
To be continued in the next article
