Bilpam founder finally laid to rest in Bentiu
June 30, 2013 (BENTIU) – A veteran leader and founder of the historical Bilpam military headquarters for subsequent South Sudanese rebels was finally laid to rest on Saturday.
In his remarks while accompanying the body and attending the burial in Unity state’s capital Bentiu on Saturday, vice-president Riek Machar Teny said the late was a nationalist who fought for the freedom of the people of South Sudan.
Machar reminded the thousands of mourners who gathered that the President of the Republic, Salva Kiir Mayardit, had already announced to the cabinet since Friday the death of late Kuany and the government paid condolences to his bereaved family as publicly announced by the government’s spokesperson, Barnaba Marial Benjamin.
The vice-president hailed late Kuany as the first leader who established Bilpam, a military base during the war of liberation, which has now continued to be the symbol of the army headquarters in South Sudan.
Late Vincent Kuany is from Koch county of Jagei-Nuer territory in Unity state. He was laid to rest in his home state’s capital, Bentiu, with a gun salute in the presence of the state governor Taban Deng Gai.
The General fought in the Anya-Nya-One movement leading to the Addis Ababa Agreement in 1972 where he was incorporated into the Sudan Armed Forces at the rank of 2nd Lieutenant.
In 1975 at the rank of 1st Lieutenant he mutinied in Akobo against Khartoum’s regime under the leadership of late Jaafer Nimeiri and established another rebellion called Anya-Nya-Two in a village known as Bilpam in Gaajak area of Jikany-Nuer territory on the other side of the Ethiopian border in Gambella region.
Eight years later he was joined in Bilpam by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) in 1983 when forces in Bor and Ayod mutinied under late Kerubino Kwanying Bol and late William Nyuon Bany, respectively. The battalions of 104 and 105 also matched to Ethiopia and continued to adopt Bilpam as their main base under the leadership of late John Garang de Mabior.
This also led to the establishment of Itang refugee camp for South Sudanese refugees, which was the biggest camp in Africa in 1980s, about 60km east of Bilpam in the same region.
Kuany later rejoined the government through the 1997 Khartoum Peace Agreement (KPA) and gradually became a Major General in the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF). In 2006 he rejoined the SPLA and was incorporated with his rank as Major General.
(ST)