May 16th, the martyrs’ Remembrance Day

By Koang Tut Jing

16 May 2007 — Late General George Smith Patton, Jr (the American shining star of World War
II) once said “a general who has not been severely wounded or killed has not
fought well enough.” Likewise an SPLA officer from Commodo before the
assault on Juba commenced in 1992 was heard telling his soldiers that “if a
person survives the first attack on Juba that person has not fought with all
his might”. Another officer said in 1988 that they would “substitute Nasir
with their blood.” Indeed, there are no heroes and patriotic stance as three
quotes above described. The SPLA martyrs put their lives online in order to
end the suffering of mankind in the Sudan. The SPLA did not just fight the
war on behalf of the marginalised Sudanese but for their own self-respect
and the formations and units they represented. As General Patton stated at
the end of World War II that “we have to push people beyond endurance in
order to bring this war to an end.” Similarly, the SPLA leadership was
relentlessly pushing their volunteered soldiers to continue fighting so that
war can be brought to an end. Today that pushing has brought us the CPA in
which we must be grateful and thankful to persons who had preferred death
over life for the sake of others.

First of all, let us remember and be thankful to Kuanyin Bol and his other
three companions (Arjok Akuom, Yosuf Kier Tang and another person author
cannot trace his name at the moment) who the Nimeiri’s regime wanted to
arrest as the causative of 1983 mutiny. Kuanyin and his 105 had taken a
patriotic decision and so we should all be grateful. Let us extend our
loving hearts to late William Nyuon for having done the right thing at Yot
on 6th June 1983 and his contribution in the SPLA before his death.
Similarly, let’s thank Captain David Riek who was in charged of Pibor and
Pochalla SAF where he managed to go away to SPLA with all his forces without
a fight at those locations. Remember Arok Thon Arok (and his Koryom
particularly Zindia, Cobra and Rad) for successfully defended the interest
of SPLA wherever he fought the enemy in and we should thanks him for being
the first high command to have crossed the desert on foot with his forces
and brought those soldiers back to safety still intact. It is time also to
think of Martin Manyiel Ayuel and (his Bees & fire), a man who linked us
with outside world through Lokichiokio and established Narus as a base. Also
think of late Francis Ngor (and his Hadit battalion) as the first commander
to convey the SPLA call for help in the wilderness to people outside
Southern Sudan border. And of course, the man who stood the various tries
and the one who brought the CPA with his resilient, the one who coined the
New Sudan Vision. Garang has a lot to be remembered for and may his soul
rest in peace. And indeed the current SPLM/A leadership, officers, NCOs and
men let’s all wish them the best in continuing the fight for justice and
equality for all the Sudanese. Let’s thank the remnants of 104/105, Jamus,
Tiger & Timtha, Koryom, Muor-muor, Kazuk, Zal-zal and our last born,
Intifadha. And say Katiba Banad Oyee.

Each year, people of New Sudan go on streets in great numbers to remind the
world of when they began grieving. We rise in good numbers every year in
remembrance of all the precious souls lost during the war. Today the
marginalised Sudanese all over the World again are reminded to remember and
mourn the departed souls. Those souls have bought for us the CPA in which
they paid their precious lives in order to deliver the marginalised Sudanese
out from misery of oppression. Likewise, the heroes of our struggle are the
martyrs and the wounded for they have done all they could to make a
different. Mind you, fellow Sudanese we live because of their unreserved
sacrifices. They gave up their lives not because they wanted to but did so
for freedom of others. As an SPLA soldier told me back in 1989 that “this
war cannot consume us all, study so that you will continue the struggle.” If
this soldier is dead (may his soul rest in peace and May God comfort his
love ones wherever they live in Bharelgazale) then he died for what he
willingly wanted to give his life for and if he survived the war then the
author can only praise God. He said that because he loves his country and
its people and for his own self-respect as a man.

There is no life where the justice and equality is impossible. If a man can
establish anything for the sake of mankind in the Sudan, it is a relentless
fight for justice and equality because they are denied to millions of
Sudanese in all it four corners. This writer has no doubt in what our
martyrs have accomplished. With what they did we are today again celebrating
the 16th May 1983 in some sort of breathing space. The celebration of this
day is made possible by those who have given up their lives and the disabled
persons in our community today. If we have heroes, they are the real heroes.
The sacrifices they made for the sake of justice and equality to prevail in
Sudan is definitely one step away and the author have no doubt his
generation which was shielded from the war will deliver and implement a true
justice and equality in the Sudan.

Mind you, fellow Sudanese, today we again reminded through the power of the
souls we lost and the wounded to renew our wilful determination to stay the
cause for as long as it takes. The 16th May is important because the march
for freedom began on that day. Because freedom is beautiful and precious let
us honour and glorify this day for love of it. My fellow countrymen/women,
let us together heartedly congratulate the survivors from all the various
formations and units of the SPLA. With loving hearts, let us honour and
glorify their services for our country all of us the then young boys and
elderly for the change those servicemen/women have brought for us. Mind you,
the changed they made is significant in the history of Sudan because no
African ever became first vice president and none African ever served as
foreign minister. But when these survivors and their departed
brothers/sisters placed their lives online in order to have a voice in our
own affairs we got this little thing but we are still marching to implement
absolute change in this country no matter how long it takes for the New
Sudan to be established.

But the only people we credited much for this changed are our martyrs and
wounded. We should always be proud of them because of this spectacular
achievement. As our Garang put it, our nation will never be the same again
despite his death; there are thousands of Garang in making who would one day
follow his footsteps. The seeds he planted will rest only when the
marginalised freedom is achieved. Although we know the war is far from over
the impact of this achievement will always remains a significant aid to the
next phase of war. Let us just hold onto our dreams hard, the power of evils
is diminishing rapidly. As we are heading into the count down on CPA the
author urge the marginalised Sudanese unity of purpose all over the country
against the evils that are igniting the split of this nation into west,
east, central, north and south. By imposing on us their culture and their
religious laws, they are strengthening our resolve to fight them all the way
till they are conquered. We must think as people with one destiny, one
purpose, one hope, one promise, one dream, one life to live and one life to
give. May God bless the New Sudan and its people!

The author is a Sudanese living in Oceania and he can be reached at
[email protected]