Gatluak Deng Garang: two decades’ legacy with the NCP

By Daniel A. Daniel

December 14, 2009 — All things considered, it’s a fact of life that there’s an end to any career that all men occupy, and there is no such thing as a life time position. No exception, even some of the kings sometimes ended up with miserable life. For example; Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire. Even the Shulu king Ayang of Fashoda, it was Major General Gatluak Deng who help transported him back to fashoda, to die with dignity among his people, instead of dying in exile (Carton Kassla – Khartoum North), just to mention the few.

Major general, Gatluak Deng Garang- as we all know, is a devoted soldier and a graduate of War College in Omdurman, who loves his job as an officer in the Sudanese Armed Forces, where he served with distinction. However, he never dreamt of becoming a politician one day in his life. He wanted to die as an officer. But, of course, sometimes winds don’t move in the desired direction, which is exactly how he wound up holding various political positions the last of which was the governorship of Upper Nile State.

Gatluak is well known by many people for his stands on issues and principles. If Dr. Ghazi Salah Eldin is well known for being a fundamental Muslim Brother in the National Islamic Front, NIF, Gabriel Gatluak Deng was a fundamental and a devoted Christian from the Presbyterian Church of the Sudan. Gatluak was called upon to join the Ingaz Revolutionary Council lead by Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Basher, which assumed the power in a coup on Friday, June 30th, 1989. Major General Gatluak Deng would later become a “pain” in the neck during the council of Ministers meeting, defending the rights of the people of South Sudan.

The leaders of SPLM/A under the command of late John Garang de Mabior wished to have him (Gatluak) in the movement from day one. Several attempts were made for him to join the movement, but to no avail. He had other plans on his mind. He was prepared to fight from the inside, and did so outstandingly. He never betrayed the course, defended the South Sudanese people where ever they were, and helped the movement during critical time of the struggle. The 24 hours eviction of the notorious murderous military intelligence officer Anuar from Malakal was a living proof.

On November 29th 2009, the permanent and long time member of National Congress Party (NCP), Major general, Gabriel Gatluak Deng Garang ended his tenure of over two decades and resigned from the NCP, after some speculations and accusations that he was not implementing the policies and the vision of (NCP/NIF) party in Upper Nile State. Instead the NCP appointed a weaker Governor in Dr. William Othom, whose real job is not to run the affairs of the great state of Upper Nile, but to pave the way for the socalled SPLM – DC of Dr. Lam Akol Ajawien in the up coming general elections, which would have not been possible in Major General Gatluak’s watch.

Hence, the good news in all this is that Gatluak resignation could not have come at the right time and place. Certainly, we hope that the rest will follow suit until the last southerner leaves that party of the bigotry, division and opression.

And so, welcome back among your people and join any party of your choice. We salute you, we love you, we need you today more than ever before, and we are so proud to have a leader like you among us.

The author is a Criminal Justice graduate, can be reached at [email protected], or [email protected].