INTERVIEW: Ding Akol Ding, a war veteran now working as minister in Jonglei

By Philip Thon Aleu

July 2, 2011 (BOR) – Ding Akol Ding , a war veteran and now a minister in the local government of South Sudan’s Jonglei state said that independence day is one of the happiest moments of his life but warned that there are tough challenges ahead for the new state.

In an interview with Sudan Tribune, Ding affirmed that joining the armed struggle during the North-South civil war years was the right thing to do adding that he was confident of victory in the end.

The former fighter who lost a leg while stepping on a landmine in 1990, said he is sad that the nationalist struggle of South Sudan people turned into a power struggle between the elites along tribal lines.

“We must look as nationalists to change the face of oppression. It is deplorable to see our politicians and intellectuals when they are involved in tribal politics. They are talking of even the leadership of tribes. This needs to be discouraged and to tell people that these trends will not help us. What we want is the ability and capacity to serve all of us. Tribes should not be used as a form for climbing to power,” Ding said.

The minister said that his work in the state showed him that the armed struggle was easier than the fight for development and providing services to the people.

“For us to deliver services, to show our people that what we fought was to change the lifestyle and bring prosperity to our community has become like a nightmare. To mobilise resources, you find there are resources. Even the capability of human resources is not there. Even the few people who are said to be educated were observed and the counties remain without capable people. The people are not getting what they want, what we have been fighting for; like getting water close to women, schools, roads and food production. We are fighting against ourselves and again we find ourselves in insecurity” he said.

Ding called for a good system of governance that is based on democracy and accountability stressing that people need to reflect on the experience of the last six years during which the semi-autonomous Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) was in control.

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ST: There are few days to the declaration of South Sudan independence, how do you feel as a person who was involved in the war?

DD: Thanks you for this opportunity at this time when we are waiting only few days to have the independence for the people of South Sudan. In fact, when the war started, everybody was feeling that there is marginalization, there was a genuine suppression. There was oppression in all the systems of government. Everyone was feeling that time has come for us to resist the system that was in place. Me, personally I felt that it was a right decision to go to the bush, and even if it cost my life, that was the right decision. During the struggle, it was a challenging life. So, if you have not been a committed person to the bush life, that why you have seen many people went back to the enemy and they had been crossing in and out because the bush was a really tough experience.

Knowing that it was a war and it is a fight and one day it will end with a victory, today I feel that is the happiest day in my life, to wait for few days to raise the flag of South Sudan [while still] alive, and to see that the joy of the people of South Sudan after all these struggles. I am really very excited and very happy and when I reflect back to my colleagues who died during the struggle, we say the victory is certain. We have won the war and it will be for our generation to see the benefits of what we have been fighting for.

ST: What were you doing when the war started in 1983?

DD: I was an administrative officer in Wau in 1983. Then I was transferred to Jonglei state after the division of the southern Sudan and I was assigned to Kongor rural council as executive officer. I was there with Hon. Atem Garang; he was the senior inspector of local government and Nekedimo Arou Man, in Kongor rural council.

ST: How did you then join the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A)?

DD: That was the time there were influx of recruits from Bar-al-Ghazal crossing to Ethiopia. So, we were asked by the movement by then that we should not leave; because if we leave Kongor Rural council, then the enemy will occupy Kongor town and that was the route for recruits to Ethiopia. So, we were there serving two governments; giving food for recruits and serving as government representative there. It was difficult. We were meeting with SPLA on this side and Sudan Government on one side.

ST: How did you take one side then?

DD: The time came now when the forces of Koryom came in, then we felt that the area was secured because our worry was that if we left earlier, the chiefs will be the victims. Me, I wanted to leave by December 1983 but people prevented me so we mobilised people and tried to support the chiefs. It was like an assignment for us to facilitate the movement of recruits to Ethiopia and we took it as a challenge although it was risky at certain stages. In September 1984, I decided to go up to Ethiopia because by then there were more forces and then a transitional administration was set by the forces of late Arok Thon.

ST: Why did you go to Ethiopia?

DD: I went to Ethiopia to attend general military training and I was posted to Western Equatoria under Commander James Wani Igga from 1987 up to 1991 when I was wounded in Marindi.

ST: How did you lose your leg?

DD: I was first injured in 1987 in Tore when we were entering the Yei area and then I was treated and became OK. I had two bullets. My co-commander, Garang Monykuer was killed. Then I took over, because I was his deputy. Then we repulsed the enemy that was moving from Yei and then I took the treatment and then came back to the fight again. In 1989, I was injured in Kajo-Keji. Then lastly, I was injured again in the attack of Marindi. I stepped on a landmine on 12, December 1990. I have three bullets now in my body. All these are symbol of liberation and one feels that he is a hero.

ST: So you lost your leg to a landmine…

DD: December 12, 1990, we were trying to raid Marindi airport and then our forces delayed and it was raining heavily. At night, forces were not moving, so, I decided to go ahead and check what was happening up front. When I was advancing, I suddenly felt that I stepped on mine and I collapsed. People then came and collected me.

ST: What was other fierce battles can you remember?

DD: You know, memory of battle is not an easy thing. I remember one attack in Kajo-Keji; it was not an easy thing. Plus ambushes we were happening between Yei and Juba. I remember in 1989 there was a convoy carrying about 12 tanks of fuel, trying to go and recapture Eastern Equatoria areas. We were instructed by late c-in-c that that convoy should not go. We fought between Morobo and Yei, we couldn’t destroy anything. We had to reorganise again and made an ambush between Yei and Juba in a place called Kenyi. In that ambush, we destroyed two tanks of fuel, one with a capacity of 6,000 litres. It was heavy, we lost many people in that fight. It was really big fight and some of us felt that many of us would die. Plus many other big fights between Yei and Juba because that was the lifeline for Juba; because of the food, fuel come through Yei. We were stationed there in a place called Kopera. That was our headquarters. Our people, especially the Kakua in Yei must thank them for helping the SPLA and that it was good for the liberation supported by all people in the region. The chief would give us information on the movement of enemies at any time. They will tell us.

ST: Having got all through that struggle where people were united against one enemy how do you feel about today, where there are local disagreements based on tribal lines?

DD: We feel very, very sad. When we started the liberation, most of us were nationalists. Now, especially, our elites, it is just because of power struggle that has developed among the elites. But when you see the normal citizens, who have no interest, they feel that they are part southern Sudan and they can die for one cause. It is our elite that are confusing our people because they want power in the name of tribes. Some of us, like me, I never fought in my own area and I lost my leg in Marindi. Nobody can tell me today that Marindi is his because I lost my leg there. I have been to Yei, Marindi. I know all chiefs and people there. I feel that it is just degeneration from our elites. Why are you encouraging politics of divide among ourselves because of power? It is very discouraging to see some of the people, especially those who have never seen the bitterness of the war are the ones drumming all these division amongst our people. But those who have been fighting know that we are one people. Some of us died in many fronts that are not their own area and that was the course of liberation. You fight anywhere, you are a nationalist. We cannot feel that we represent a section. We are here to represent a nation. We must look as nationalists to change the face of oppression. It is deplorable to see our politicians and intellectuals when they are involved in tribal politics. They are talking of even the leadership of tribes. This needs to be discouraged and to tell people that these trends will not help us. What we want is the ability and capacity to serve all of us. Tribes should not be used as a form for climbing to power.

ST: As a former commissioner and now a minister in state government, how was the shift from military command to civil administration?

DD: I discovered that fighting was easier than development. For us to deliver services, to show our people that what we fought was to change the lifestyle and bring prosperity to our community has become like a nightmare. To mobilise resources, you find there are resources. Even the capability of human resources is not there. Even the few people who are said to be educated were observed and the counties remain without capable people. The people are not getting what they want, what we have been fighting for; like getting water close to women, schools, roads and food production. We are fighting against ourselves and again we find ourselves in insecurity. The elements of militia, the elements of power struggles continue to confuse our local population. So, to me, I see that managing the affairs of people is not an easy thing. It is a task that we have to give an attention to, because we must translate what we fought for to our people, to believe that this is what we have been fighting for. It is not the title of being a commissioner or minister. We are fighting for services to our people. Opportunities for children to go to schools, health facilities should be available to everyone. We need to engage ourselves to show that we fought for this.

ST: The expectations are high and the challenges are still there, where do you think South Sudan will begin as a nation?

DD: I think we need to reflect seriously on the way we have managed our affairs for the last six years and then move from there forward. Nobody will come from outside to manage our own affairs. We are the ones who are going to manage ourselves. The time has come to prove the claim that it is north which is not doing this or not giving us money. Now the north is going to leave, what next? We need to really focus on economic development and unity and peace among our people so that people can be allowed to do whatever business they want to do. We must really be very careful with the way we are electing our officials. We must be very careful with it because time has come to evaluate the ability of the people. We should not have sympathy. It may not help us. We need to have a dialogue; public issues should be addressed in public. We should develop the leadership of accountability at every level so that we can prosper. It is a heavy responsibility. Governance should be looked at as a source of prosperity. If there is no governance, then the prosperity will not be there.

ST: Any final message?

DD: People are excited when there is victory. For the days to come, people will be euphoric but we need to manage our happiness because it can turn into a problem. We should be mindful of individuals who are trying to confuse our people for personal gain. We need people to stay in harmony. We need to follow democracy that is open to everybody. We must be very careful of the wrong elements; there are those who always like to benefit from fighting.

(ST)