Thankful to Cdr. William Nyuoon Bany: A Eulogy!

Dear Uncle Nyuoon,

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I believe in the  life after death, not only  because of my  Christian’s faith but also because of our ancestral belief (Africanism). I believe  that you’re watching and listening!  This note that contains my tributes to you aged within me, 22 years to make it specific. As I sat eyeing the empty screen of my iPad, my fears left me for a walk: The fear of judgement from others, and the fear of perception from the community of your birth. In  fact, I thank God for relieving me of these fears because, to write this note means to celebrate your life, you gave to spare others’ lives. Thanking  you, reflects the remembrance of your foot prints you left behind, your  foot prints in nationalism, in patriotism,  in protection and lastly, your  foot prints of  ideologies in which you impacted the history of South Sudan.

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As I scribble this note, I don’t know where your body rests; whether your loyalists had time to bury  you properly or they left behind  your dear body unburied  to save their dear lives! It won’t matter, what matters,  are  the thoughts of you within us! With these thoughts, we can build and erect  your  monuments and statues  throughout the country!

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Uncle William,  I centralise the core of this note in specific events that involved my Palotaka colleagues and I, then your other good deeds to this country will follow. To all my Palotaka colleagues, I invite you to judge this note about the man who spared the foundation of our country; a country, in the political turmoil today.  A  man whom his junior  both in ranking and aging, robbed of life; a junior he rescued at the edge of a sword for betrayal  from SPLM/A; Elijah Hon Top under Peter Gatdet Yaak, slain him  in cold blood. William Nyuoon is such a man, unique and outstanding leader!

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William, I remember when you advised  us in Torit. You aired these words:  “Jesh al-Hamar, you must be willing to study; you must not dive into nostalgia, thinking about your parents, relatives or cattle; we must defeat the immigrants in all fronts. I know and am seeing it, you lack clothes and blankets; Jesh al Hamar, you must be on the lookout for patience because without it, all lives will end in seconds; so alongside patience, welcome persistence and everything else will follow.”
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With your advice, we conquered dark corners in the hell of a Palotaka life; with your parental words, we lived  in the four corners of the earth so determined today. You lived among us contrary to those who existed and continue to exist among us; your  temporal life has left everlasting good memories of you; And that’s the full measure of a great man. Most great revolutionaries and visionaries,  perished in violence not in peace; the world never give them time to verbalise their wills to their loved ones.

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In these regards, I oblige myself to quote one greatest man, a man in his own class, a class in the pinnacle of the humanity, Abraham Lincoln. As a president,  he summarised and uttered the sacrifices  of good soldiers in his Gettysburg address: “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. ”  So William, you were such a soldier,   the haters and those unpatriotic will  regard our words about you and other martyrs  as meaningless  but they ( words) will act as reminders to those who quench the South Sudan soil with   their liquor or milk   as a recognition and libation to  those who gave their last prices for it ( South Sudan ).
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In September,1992, you defected from SPLM/A at  Pageri in Eastern  Equatoria State; the news of your defection raced to Palotaka and the panic racked our guardians’ brains, who , even in the face of desperate craving of life, couldn’t stand on your way, given their knowledge of your military tactics. We hit the road to Parjok and to Pogee. However, William, you challenged your matches, the SPLA occupied towns. Magwi fell in a terrible defeat into your hands; Ikotos crumbled in front of you and you made it  to Juba not because of the numbers of your soldiers but barely because of your military tactics. A great military tactician, you were!

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A testimony from Riek’s abductee of 1991 goes:

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Words from a former soldier in signaling (communication) unit in your division had these remarks about you:
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“I did my military training with ‘koryom'(locust) battalion, however, the leadership of SPLM/A deployed me  in 104/105 at Adura/Ashwa base in  Ethiopia; William Nyuoon (a zonal commander) commanded axis-1 zone , which covered the Eastern bank of the Nile.

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Qualities  of  his leadership

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Cdr. Nyuoon possessed many excellent skills that made  him a rare leader; socially, William would play cards and other games not only with officers but also with soldiers; he laughed and joked with them.

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His leadership opposed the tribalists, for example, when Dr. Garang sent two battalions: Bilpam and Mut (spear in Nuer), to him, Isaac Gatlok a commanding commander swappedd soldiers  of other tribes  with soldiers of Nuer tribe especially in strategic positions, for example, those in fields artilleries (e.g. pack or mountain howitzers) units;  that incident agitated most soldiers so a chunk of soldiers deserted the battalion; that triggered William to  call an emergency meeting with his closest officers: Ajak Deng Reng, Manyok Barach, James Kong ( his chief of staff), Chuol Maai (head of his intelligence unit) and Jacob Bol (his doctor) to discuss what they should do about Isaac’s behaviour. He told them to forge a letter of Isaac’s referral for promotion in the name of Dr. Garang, and then he would press charges against Isaac after he (Isaac) reach Bilpam(SPLM/A base).
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However, Chuol Maai and James Kong in a private meeting, convinced  William to discard the  decision so he cancelled Isaac’s trip to Bilpam. As a result of Isaac’s segregation, the battalion dispersed altogether,  a fail of leadership .  Nyuoon condemned his two officers who talked him out of Gatlok’s referral in a serious mood. That also meant he could see beyond (visionary).  Furthermore,  his communications with the leader of the movement, Dr. Garang in matters partaining the future of the movement,  showed his visionary and revolutionary characteristics.

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Nyuoon, as a brave commander, his bravery debilitated the rebels of Anyanya two who gave SPLM/A hard times. His military operations in Jhok-kou and in other areas of Gajak showed his bravery.

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Nyuoon had a rare fairness; he treated everyone the same; he would acknowledge the contribution of others in the functioning and success  of SPLM/A regardless of their tribes. Nyuoon: the best in mobilisation, he mobilised Nuers to join the SPLM/A. He  was not corrupt, though he had capacities, he never desired to own hundreds of cattle like his colleagues in the same ranks. His simple diets  proved him innocence in corruption ordeal,  which enslaved many SPLM/A  officers; an epidemic that continues to robe us  until  today!

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Kwei-nyang (his nickname) was not a  strict  vegetarian but he didn’t love meat like the rests of his peers; he also disliked foods with fat (butter and ghee),  and his favorite were milk, chai(tea) and “Ngam-Kuor” (corns with brans removed then cooked with beans) so he used to supervise foods for the sake of his soldiers not because of him. He would prioritise and care for signaling unit, intelligence unit and the rests follow when it came to what they should eat”.

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Having stated the  reasons as to why high commander, William Nyuoon Bany deserves our respect, I now conclude that William Nyuoon must remain in our heart of hearts. He deserves monuments and statues in Ayod, Jonglei capital and in Juba because his nationalism and patriotism outweighed many of his peers’! So with the words of American military  legend, General Macarthur: ” old soldiers never die they just fade away”. Our passed heroes will occupy eternity of our history especially if we think about what they accomplished in their short lives.
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