Sudan’s Juba commemorates Garang’s led Martyrs Day
By James Gatdet Dak
July 30, 2008 (JUBA) – Tens of thousands of citizens in Juba gathered on Wednesday to mark the 3rd anniversary for the commemoration of all martyrs who sacrificed their lives since 1955 to free the marginalized people of the Sudan and among whom stood out the late SPLM Chairman, Dr. John Garang de Mabior as the “martyr of all martyrs.”
The Government of Southern Sudan two years ago resolved that 30th July every year should be an official commemoration day for the late SPLM Chairman, Dr. Garang, and this year passed another resolution in the Council of Ministers making the same day a comprehensive commemoration day for all the martyrs who died for the liberation of all the marginalized people of the Sudan.
Dr. Garang died in a Ugandan Presidential Chopper crash on 30th July 2005 as he was returning to Southern Sudan from an official trip to Uganda.
Addressing the crowd, the First Vice President of the Sudan, President of the Government of Southern Sudan, Chairman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and Commander-in-Chief of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), 1st Lt. General Salva Kiir Mayardit, said late Dr. Garang “is a martyr of all martyrs … and that he died for the just cause of the marginalized people of the Sudan.”
General Kiir told the crowd that Dr. Garang’s vision was not a mere perception, but a vision that could be touched and felt now.
He said the SPLM vision for a New Sudan is based on equality and justice where all citizens of the Sudan have equal opportunity to prosperity.
Kiir explained that the SPLM took up arms against what he called a minority ruling clique in the country that resorted to marginalizing the majority of the people in the country since independence.
He said the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) has made it possible to change Sudan as the late SPLM Chairman, Dr. Garang said “Sudan will never be the same again.”
The SPLM Chairman assured the citizens that the Party is committed and determined to implement the CPA. “We must implement the CPA slowly but surely,” he assured the crowd.
The President of the Government of Southern Sudan said his government is committed to fighting corruption and removing ghost names from the Government’s pay lists.
He warned against those who are getting double pay in the government, lamenting that in one month alone his government discovered and recovered 500,000 pounds (250,000 US dollars) from double pay lists.
Kiir also assured of his government’s commitment to support the war disabled persons and families of martyrs.
On security issues he said he had already issued directives to the security forces to disarm the civil population in Southern Sudan.
On the Uganda peace process mediated by his government, President Kiir said his government would still keep the option of peaceful resolution to the conflict in northern Uganda by convincing the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) leader, Joseph Kony to sign the already concluded Final Peace Agreement.
Kiir however pointed out that his government would also keep the other option of protecting its people.
The Martyrs Commemoration Day, which took place at the grave sight of the late SPLM chairman, was attended by senior members of the SPLM and of the Government, representatives of other political parties, a number of foreign dignitaries and representatives of foreign consulates in Juba.
Thousands of candles were distributed to the crowd and were lit at exactly 7:09PM, the time the ill-fated Ugandan helicopter crashed that claimed the lives of late Dr. Garang and others on board with him.
(ST)