President Kiir asked, “Where were they (Bor youth) when White Army invaded Bortown? Bor leaders are going to tell me and I am going to get anyone behind this (killing of civilians in UNMISS compound in Bortown).” At least someone has finally spoken to shift blame to someone else….I hope Justice Michael Makuei Lueth Kang, the minister of Information and Broadcasting in South Sudan, the chair of Greater Bor Community in South Sudan, and the first South Sudan minister to justify the killing using ‘we’ statement, is listening to President Kiir….It looks like Kiir and Makuei’s friendship is coming to an end or betraying and traumatic life is coming back to normal rationality!–via Athiaan Deng’s Facebook page
By Butrus Ajak, Asutralia
The baseless rhetoric getting strewed on the net that Bor community is being set up by ‘Bor officials’ is rubbish and unfounded. I will not prevaricate, but get down to business. The truth is Juba’s government bears blame for setting up Bor community and leave it to her own fate.
Bor community was, and still is made the Biblical sacrificial lamb for Republic of South Sudan (RSS) regardless of her altruistic and animatedly support for the government. In the year 91, political disagreement within the SPLA/M took a tribal dimension, several generations of Bor people, about ¾ of its population to be exact were slain helplessly. Notwithstanding, and the political fallout had nothing to do with Bor people. Arguably, Bhar-el–gazal people have different views on Bor people.
I had had numerous heated deliberations at Footscray social gathering place with Bhar-el–gazal boys and all they said, was: “THAAN COL BOR, THAAN YE ARIOC, A PAN DEN PAL NUER KU BEER” Direct translation of this clause reads: ‘Bor community is coward community, it has left its territory to Nuer and Beer’. In addition, Muoranyar Maker, a rebel oriented Bhar-el–gazal gentleman I met on social network (Facebook) shared the same idea and the following are pukes he spewed about Bor community!
“You guys (Bor Community) seem strong and aggressive on the web when your beloved community repeatedly risks undergoing major serious image distortion. You need this aggression beyond website boundaries and face your real enemy. You need to depend your homeland, at least to assure your ‘mothers their labour is never went in vain’. What is the acceptable justification do you give by having your populations protected elsewhere” Writes Muoranyar.
This paper is informed by this outrageous nomenclature Bhar-elgazal boys have on Bor community. As Bor son, I set out to write and challenge this misleading and groundless fustian. Bor community is never coward, keep reading! In the year 1991 Riek’s forces invaded Bor and uprooted civilians and occupied all towns right to Mangala in Central Equatoria. The situation reigned out of control, all the SPLA commanders were there and no one dared to face Riek’s forces. In fact most were even busy crossing borders to Uganda or Kenya. The SPLA/M Torit faction soldiers were demoralised as no one determined to take a lead. Son of Bor community, Commander Lazarus Kuol Manyang restored hope. He stood tall and did what a man could do in such dire situation. He sent out an order that asked all Bor soldiers and able bodies to report to his station urgently. In his opening speech he said:
“We got to fight Riek’s marauders with will all our hearts and might, and that nobody should look back once in frontline or else, he would be that should remain back and leave the men to do the fight”.
Gen. Kuol led the fight, flanked by another Bor’s son commander Bior Ajang and our Upper Nile Dinka brother commander late George Athor Deng. Riek’s forces didn’t stand a chance. Actually, what happened then is a history and could be explained best by Riek and Bol Koang and the remnants of White Army in that particular showdown. Riek’s forces were culled by Bor community to only rise again in 2013,that Gen. Kuol has gotten old see how this fight is being fought as of now. If this is not bravery, what is it then? How would our mothers (Bor community mothers) who bore such sons be sorry for bearing soldiers of this splendid?
Juba’s government is to blame for Bor destruction and mass displacement in the following ways:
In 2013 & 2014 respectively, Bor Community is caught up impromptu again. President Salva Kiir Mayardit being an autochthonous Dinka of Bhar-el–gazal went into political gridlock with his then deputy Dr. Riek Machar, a Nuer native. The political deadlock deepened and on that vendetta and fateful night of Dec, 15, 2013 hell got loose. Nuer civilians were reported by independent actors such as UNIMISS and Right groups that, Nuer were targeted and killed. This targeted killing was executed by presidential guard, infamously known as Tiger, and Tiger is populated by only Dinka Bhar-el–gazal, specifically where president hails. Bor Community was never part of what happened.
Leadership stoush went on for several days in Juba until Riek slipped out of Juba. He rushed to his homeland and mobilised his year 91 militia known as White Army and Bor was invaded for the second time. About 5,000 or so were killed, and several thousand displaced. Awkwardly, president Kiir has not up to now uttered a word of condolence to the victims of his bad leadership!
From the look of political things, it is crystal clear Juba’s government had an organised sinister plan about Bor community. Juba’s government installed Peter Gatdet Yaka, a top-class terrorist and political prostitute as head of division eight rights in the midst of Dinka Bor. And according to reliable sources, it is clear Gatdet was deliberately brought to spy and silence Bor Community on suspicion that Bor yearned to take Garang’s leadership back anytime if not given a close guard. The same government disarmed Bor community more than twice making the community much more susceptible to her lawless neighbours who remained armed to the brim as I write.
Third, gov’t failed to aptly come for community’s rescue when Gen. Gatdet Yaka killed Gen. Ajak Yen and drove to Bor-town with armoured mounted vehicles shooting indiscriminately at anyone they saw in Bor-town. Juba’s gov’t failed again to militarily flank the enemy and take the war to Nuerland. Instead at the time Bor was captured president Kiir ordered Bor community generals both retired and active to go and liberate their town, forgetting the marauders are coming for his head, and seat. Majestically, Bor sons volunteered their souls to protect Kiir’s leadership, though general Jongroor and Chol didn’t make it back to Juba,this is what we in Bor call heroism! They have fallen decently. Even Bor sons who went for a visit from US, Australia and Canada never abstained to join; amongst them are Mac Achuek Mac (RIP), who left his young family in Australia and Akech Makuei Diing (RIP) left his young family in Canada. They took part in war and lost their souls depending elected leadership from being forcefully taken by force. This is what bravery is Muoranyar! All these forfeits were happening at watchful eyes of Bhar-el–ghazal sons and yet they remain denial to give credit where it belongs. Well, Bor got to claim it by themselves.
But questions remain, how would Juba’s government initiated war become Bor community war? How would Muoranyarand his community boys miss this glaring fact that the war started by Kiir and Riek and if they were to own it, then it is for Bhar-el–gazal and Nuer? I took this upon myself because Muoranayar and his boys avowal was never an isolated one, they have repeatedly been saying it and other communities have adopted it too, that Bor is coward. It is a white and flaccid lie. Bor is never been coward and this position can be attested by those who shared war trenches with Bo soldiers including Salva Kiir. During those tough years, it was common prevalence when war loomed, lots of officers from Bhar-el–ghazal felt sick and fighting could be postponed or assigned to some officers. Or officers were never of this sort. Such fearless Bor commanders dead and the living are as follows:
Commander Majok Mac Aluong (RIP), commander Anyaar Apiu (RIP), commander Alier-wala (RIP), commander Geu Atherkuei (RIP), commander Deng Kudum (RIP), commander Mading Kudum (RIP) these are brothers, commander Abraham Jongroor (RIP),comrade Makuac Ajoot (RIP), commander Deng Aguang (RIP),commander Makor Lual (RIP), commander Awan Chol Lual (RIP),commander Akoi Maketh Deu (RIP),commander Mayen Akuak (RIP), commander Majok Ayom (RIP), commander Jok Reng (RIP),commander Arok Thon (RIP), commander George Gai Garang (RIP), commander Deng Leek Deng (RIP), commander Deng-akutnhom (RIP), commander Ayuen Mabior (RIP), commander Bior Ajang, commander Kuol Manyang, commander Peter Wal Athiu, commander Gabriel Jok Riak, commander Wilson Amoc-Arab aka Deng Kuoirot, commander Deng Garang Beny, commander Wuor Mabior,ncommander Mawut Wuoi, commander Atem Manyok Mabior, commander Mayen Deng Lual (Mayen-adit), commander Majak Agoot, commander Malual Ayom, commander Muhammad Sadiq aka Piliph Awuou Leek, commander Jok Ariing, commander Maker Thiong, commander Nyang Jook, commander Akech Loi, commander Garang Ngang Abui, commander Manyang Agook, commander Mathiang Aluong, commander Malony Akau, commander Alier Nhial, commander Atem Aguan gand list goes on. It is worth noting these were only officers and Bor foot soldiers were countless.
If coward is what Bor is,the above gentlemen could have never made names in the revolution history. Second, if Bor is that low, why was it vitally pertinent one of her own was rushed in at catch 22 periods, at the moment SPLA/SPLM scaffoldings were failing apart? This alone dictates Bor is not what Muoranyar and his boys want their readers and listeners to believe. Belief it or not, Bor Community is a linchpin of Kiir’s government and any other government that will come.
If this is not bravery, what is it then? How would our mothers (Bor community mothers) who bore such selfless sons be sorry for bearing soldiers of this caliber? I am making all these points to empathize our mothers have actually given birth to heroes and not the other way around. Just assume Bor community was fighting to liberate Bortown from Jallaba, the aforementioned heroes would have not fallen in the way they did. In fact, most of them fell liberating your towns. If anything, Bor community have contributed more than its population, this in turn says much more about Bor community’s bravery. If we were to fight Murle or even the entire Nuer in the way we took the revolution war up on ourselves, I tell you we would be in better position to secure and protect our territorial borders from any external aggression. There are a lot more pretty good evidences to suggest these men were a cut above the average soldiers.
Message to Bor leaders at home, and abroad.
First thing first, Bor community has to separate powers. Monopoly of powers has destroyed our community and this has to stop forthwith. I understand those of Justice Makuei Lueth, Deng Dau and Ruei Puot are doubling up, as politicians and community representatives. This takes away community interest. Politicians are politicians and community has to be led by community representatives not politicians. Community representatives are people who will present common people interest.
Tough time calls for decisive action, this is to say Bor Community survivability has to be approached with foresight prudence and I think politicians have done all they could do and community is crumbling down. This is a ticklish moment, Bor Community has to recourse its political stance from Kiir’s government, this requires join forces from community representatives, youth leaders and politicians. This community cannot have it both ways, standing for a government and at the same time being labelled names by the same government it respects and protects. Bor community is being scornfully mocked as if the war was of her own. It doesn’t have to be this way!
I know Bor community can be mocked because it has no numbers, but I am very sure we can swing, and bolster any elections results.For this, I am calling on our young leaders to act, especially our young leaders in the person of Madol Chie Anyang, the Bor Youth Leader in Australia, Deng Lueth MayomAyiik, the Bor youth leader in USA, and those at home.
I suggest you really burry our differences deep and let’s start sending delegates home for sensitization and consultation with our people. Let’s consolidate and solidify our conformity as this will assist in denying our opportunists within and outside the wherewithal to downtrodden Bor community vulnerability.
Nuer, Murle, and Dinka Bor community have lived with vengeance against each other, particularly cattle rustling and no community has ever disposed each other. What is it this time? Juba’s government has invisible hand in Upper Nile’s predicament. Thanks Deng Lueth, I came across your following witty call for Bor community.
“Dear Greater Bor People, by now, each and every one of you should have a very clear understanding of this conflict in South Sudan. It has affected us beyond description. However, we must remain resilient and do what spares our love ones who are still alive and the future of our community and country. Therefore, we must understand that:– We are part of Upper Nile region not Bar-el–ghazal region – Lou/Gaweer Nuer are our neighbors; we cannot scoop our land in Jonglei and move it elsewhere for safety. We must, together with all communities in Jonglei, find ways to peacefully co-exist together. SalvaKiir government does not care about Bor communities – chronic insecurity in Jonglei prior to the conflict and government was not doing enough to fight it”
Good on ya comrade Deng Lueth. Precisely, what you have narrated is exactly what it is; all you need is to take it to another level. Bor youth leaders in diaspora have to have a task to dialogue with Nuer leadership and find some commons ground for our communities. It is time our people understand these egoistic politicians have, and are continuing destroying our communities. It is we the common men who are hit the hardest. Leadership can never be obtained through aggression or killing people so as to stay or usurp power.
In recap, Bor community survivability lies in her hand. Old politicians are not helping the escalating situation. I suggest Bor youth leaders take a lead and implement change, or else the ripple effects of this political strategy will be the nail in the coffin of Bor community. More and more mass migration is yet to come. This is a world of allies and this community cannot afford to have allies who never care about its existence. It was understandable when this community suffered because of Garang’s leadership in 90s, how about now?
Bhar–el–ghazal community needs to know you can’t have two at the same time.If you choose to stay put to power, you got to depend it then. Cowards is when you have four states at the time of budget allocation and have those who can’t persistently depend the gov’t when war strikes. It is about time Ngok Lual Yak community and Bor community can never accommodate Bhar-el–gazal mess anymore.
Finally, by the look of shambolic politics in RSS, especially this loosely talk without ethics both in media and on the street, it is obvious citizens of congruent feeling with me will feel ashamed for doing everything they can to make sure the elected government stays in power until its tenure elapse.
Butrus Ajak is a health professional who resides and works in Australia. He holds MPH, MHP &BBus from various universities in Australia.
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We are on the right side of history: A response to Butrus Ajak’s call on the Bor Community to re-think her political alliances.
Dear brother Butrus Ajak,
Your recent post is a violent departure from your usual sober approach to the crisis raging in our country. It seems like you have been roughed up in a bad way by someone from the Bhar El Gazel (BEG) region, which is the only context in which this outburst could be understood. Don’t be unmindful that every community has its own mentally strayed loose cannons, and you just happened to have been blown up, inadvertently, by ones of the BEG’s. This person’s opinion is nowhere near the general consensus in the said region. Let him bark until he runs out of steam and stupid zealotry.
But, since you’ve made some calls to the Bor Community to re-think her political alignments in the current conflict/political dispensations and the future ones, I think your post deserves some measured levels of response from somebody from the said community. Of late, the question as to why we’re standing shoulder-to-shoulder with a government that doesn’t seem to take our interest seriously has been dripping effortlessly from the tongues of some members of our community. I always take such a question as one of those random questions, which invariably stem from the war fatigues and general wariness, which is precipitated by the incompetent manner in which the war is being fought. I never really attach any importance to it until now.
I read your writings somewhere before, and you appear quite knowledgeable, as someone whose views shouldn’t be dismissed with an air of arrogance or ignorance. The fact that you appear angry, upset, and visibly outraged is completely understandable. Our community has been served with the shortest end of the stick in this conflict. We’ve suffered immeasurably.
Brother Ajak, in 1991, when Riek first challenged Dr. Garang militarily, the first thing he did was to send his White Army to Bor to wreck havocs. His mission succeeded when he managed to killed thousands of Dinka Bor civilians, loot their properties, and left the few surviving ones to fight against famine and diseases in the refugees’ camps, and internally displaced persons’ camps. Riek did this because he wanted to break Garang’s will, and he almost did.
In the movement, the SPLM/A, this was understood not as an attack on the Dinka Bor people alone, despite the fact that Dr. Garang came from Bor, but as an attack on the movement as whole. The SPLM/A responded as such, albeit belatedly, and Riek’s forces were forced out of Borland. I survived this onslaught as a young boy so when I talk, I talk from the ugly experiences of the past.
The people who came to defend Bor were not solely the Dinka Bor’s sons. It was the whole movement’s military machine who threw its weight behind Dinka Bor. For example, when Majak D’Agot was sent with Jesh El Amer (Red Army) to fight off the invading White Army, his force was almost homogeneously comprised of men from the BEG region, with a few from Equatoria, Dinka Bor, and Nuba mountain. This force was almost completely obliterated by the White Army in the muddy bushes of the then northern Bor. The force that came with Kuol Manyang, which finally liberated Bor on Dec. 12th, 1991, was equally comprised. It was the movement fighting the sellout in the person of Riek Machar.
This shows that despite our habitual silly tea place cheap talks, when the worse comes to worse, the Dinka of BEG will always stand with the Dinka Bor. All the data suggest that it is safe to make such a generalized conclusion.
In this conflict, let’s also pause, reflect, and understand that it is not the BEG region’s fight alone. The idea that that since the President comes from the BEG region, the fight should be viewed as a fight between those who hold the power and those who want to wrestle it out, with the rest of the country standing with its arms akimbo is silly. This President was elected by all of us, and any attempt to undo the majority’s will by force or otherwise should be resisted as an attack on our sovereignty.
It is immaterial whether Salva Kiir is the president or someone else is the president. To think that Warrap today should lead the resistant against Riek Machar is similar to that erroneous belief, which was prevalence in some quarters in 1991, that the Dinka Bor was the one with an axe to grind with Riek Machar. Dr. Garang was the legitimate leader of the movement and he had to be defended as such. Kiir is the legitimate leader of the country now, and on the similar basis he should be defended. Just as the Dinka Bor couldn’t defend Dr. Garang back then, the Twic Mayardit, where Kiir hails, isn’t in a better position to defend Kiir now. The sooner we realize this, the better.
About the political alignment, you seem to insinuate that since the BEG region doesn’t care about Dinka Bor, it is time for the Dinka Bor to re-think her political alliances. You also seem to suggest that the defunct Upper Nile Region, which is where Dinka Bor has been mostly persecuted and prosecuted, is where the Dinka Bor’s security and political future lie. First, it has to be qualified whether or not the BEG region cares about the Dinka Bor interest. I am open to be convinced by a well-thought out argument, backed by a reasonable data, but so far, I haven’t seen any.
The present disfranchisement from the members of Dinka Bor is firmly rooted in an understandable anger triggered by a few unpalatable emotional outbursts from a few people who don’t know better from the BEG region. This childish, grotesque, and bigoted reasoning from a few BEG demagogues shouldn’t be used as the basis to fault the whole region. And honestly speaking, which region is devoid of uninformed and bigoted idiots? We’ve got our own loud-mouths who speak before they give themselves a chance to think, but their shortsighted views of others are never taken as the basis on which the whole community of Bor is viewed and judged.
Brother Ajak, I am offended beyond fathoming that you would even hint at agreeing with Deng Lueth Mayom on his skewed views, which seem to erroneously insinuate that the Lou Nuer, Gawer, and other Upper Nile Nuer societies are our close brothers and that these are the ones we should form an alliance with. I read Deng’s call on the Dinka Bor to stand with Nuer, and I ignored that because we all know where Deng Lueth and cohorts stand since this conflict began, but are you too that gullible, to be swayed that easily? A day of reckoning will someday arrive for those who are now playing politics with the lives of our people. Our community is awash with Nyandeng’s apologists————those who are placing political expedient and jealousy before that which is right and just. These people will someday have their day in the court of public opinions and they will be condemned. There will be no Salva Kiir to stay their well deserved chastisement.
The Upper Nile, where Deng Lueth Mayom and his apologists find solace, is where we’ve repeated been persecuted. In 1991, it was the Upper Nuer societies who allied with Riek and attacked Bor in earnest, thus reducing it to ashes, both physically and emotionally. In the ongoing conflict, it was the same Upper Nile Nuer Societies who sounded the drums of war, and invaded the Borland, again, sending her children to the refugees’ camp, and internally displaced person’s camps. Now, is that what you want to form an alliance with? When did an antelope ever ran into a lion’s den and made it out a life? Where is this elusive brotherhood I keep hearing? If we can’t learn from history and experience, then what exactly are we going to learn from?
Brother Ajak, when the ongoing murderous transaction was initiated, I was in Bor and I know what exactly happened. Let’s not allow political cheap talks to sway our opinions when we haven’t gathered enough information. It is fatal to toy around with one’s own security in times of moral crisis such as the one that we’ve found ourselves in.
When the fight broke out in Juba, the first place where the Nuer began to avenge the alleged killings of their kith and kin in Juba was in Bor. After the night of Dec. 15th, 2013, some members of the Lou Nuer in Bor Town went to the home of their neighbors, two boys from Kongoor (Dinka Bor), and butchered them with machetes mercilessly. They then displayed their abused bodies outside the compound for their unsuspecting relatives to find in the morning. Then, Gadet switched sides in Panpandiar and butchered Ajak Ayen (Dinka Bor) and his body guards. He then sent his men to attack the town in earnest and sent us fleeing to the bushes. In the pursuing mayhem, hundreds of civilians, who took no part in the quarrels in Juba, were slain.
But that was not enough, the Nuer of the Greater Upper Nile mobilized in their thousands, and attacked Bor. Hundreds more civilians were killed in cold blood including the women in the church, and the patients in the hospital. They also went on a killing spree, butchering civilians in their huts in the surrounding villages. All these happened because these civilians were Dinka, and the Dinka was the one killing them in Juba. But that was not enough, after they were repulsed in Bor Town, they came back to Duk and maimed it. They abducted village chiefs in Duk; the fate of these traditional elders is yet to be elucidated. Their blood thirst hasn’t been quenched yet, and if given a chance, they will do what they did again, to the Dinka Bor civilians. Unless the word alliance has changed its meaning, I doubt if this is something you need to form an alliance with without being seen as dinning with the devil.
You also argue that Bor was not adequately defended when the war broke out. Yes, it is true, but understand that there was a national army, stationed in Panapandiar, in Bor. This force was enough to defend the region from any aggression, internal or otherwise. However, like the rest of the national army, it was mostly comprised of Nuer tribesmen. A fatal mistake was made when all the Nuer militia were integrated into the national army without political desensitization and training. However, this is a topic of another day. We can debate the pros and cons of it, but we will be digressing.
As a result, the massive defection of Nuer soldiers to Riek’s side left the country without a standing fighting force. The President and the Defense Ministry had to make do with what they had to defend the country. It was the reason why M7 of Uganda was called upon to defend his ally. And remember, when the late Abraham Jongroor went and chased Gadet from Bor, he only had five hundreds (500) men under his command. Do you know where these soldiers mostly came from? They definitely didn’t come from Bor. They mostly came from the BEG region. If it wasn’t because of these men’s bravery, a few civilians from Bor who are now sheltering in Guolyar, Awerial County, won’t have made it out of Bor. I personally won’t have made it out of my hiding place in the bushes of Kolnyang. And yet Deng Lueth Mayom, and you of late, want me to believe that the people who ensured my survival are supposed to be my enemies?
Having given you the reason why on a communal basis we can’t form any alliance with the Nuer societies backing Riek Machar, let me tell you the BIGGER reason why it is even a horrible idea to throw in our lots with Riek Machar. THE COUNTRY’S FUTURE. When the war of liberation began in Bor in 1983, thousands of our peasants joined the fight. The first nucleus of the SPLA’s fighting force was composed of men of Koriom battalion, which was mostly recruited from Bor. These men fought the hardest battles of the liberation war. They won some and lost some. Lots of them died and lots were disabled.
They were followed by the rest of the communities across South Sudan. Every time there was a depicit in the SPLA’s fighting force, Dr. Garang would always come back to Dinka Bor, and we never hesitated to produce men to fight the war. There were ‘Buluk ke Diak’ and other recruitment drives which yielded men who went on to liberate the country. I am sure you have some recollections of those recruitment drives across Borland. In terms of materials, we wasted grains and livestock to feed the army. In blood and materials, we’ve enormously invested in this country. Personally, I have lost three brothers, an uncle, and a nephew, all of them fell by the enemy’s bullets. Lots of other families from the Dinka Bor and across South Sudan can cite their loses. Expensively, we have invested in this country.
When Riek rebelled in 1991, Southerners were at the verge of capturing Juba, a victory which could have allowed us to conclude the war in our favor. However, Riek stabbed us in the back, and formed an alliance with Bashir, our traditional enemy. Despites the setbacks, we pressed on until we brought forth the CPA. The last SPLA commander to fall before the guns went silent was Dhieu De Warabe. He was a Dinka Bor. Figuratively, the CPA was inked with his blood. It was a covenant not to be broken between the fallen and those who survived to enjoy the fruits of our struggle. Riek Machar was one of the first beneficiaries to enjoy the sweetness of these fruits, but Dhiew De Warabe wasn’t. Riek’s past deeds were forgiven, but hardly forgotten.
But Riek Machar’s appetite for betrayal is unquenchable so he is at it again. Instead of waiting for the voting boosts to be set up and opened, he took the shortest cut to leadership, and along the way, he has crushed lots of civilians, and put the nation’s future in peril. Riek Machar is bad for the country’s future because of his unstable political records, and any alliance with him will be an alliance against the country’s future.
In good conscience, given our enormous investment towards the effort to midwife this country, this is a costly undertaking we can’t afford to embark on, not now, not ever. We’ve come this far, and as a community, we can’t afford to queue on the wrong side of history. We ought always to remember and honor the memories of those fallen heroes such as Ajak Ayen, Jongroor Deng, and hundreds of Bor sons who have died making sure that this country has a future. So brother, they’ll call you coward because they have not the privilege of knowing their history, let them deny your contribution, but history, which is the best judge of our deeds, will always rebuke them.
(Disclaimer. The views expressed in this essay are solely those of the author’s and not that of his employer. Dr. Bior Kwer Bior, PhD is a South Sudanese national who resides in Juba. He is currently working as a consultant in the National Public Health Laboratory and Center for Disease Control (NPHL-CDC) in the Republic of South Sudan. Dr. Bior can be reached at: biordengchek@gmail.com)