Does General Dau Aturjong Keep His Words?
By Samuel Reech Mayen, Kampala, Uganda
May 30, 2015 (SSB) —- Having lost the gubernatorial seat he contested for to the then incumbent governor, Hon. Malong Awan, General Dau Aturjong found himself slowly losing the ground he stood on. His loyalty began to be doubted. With vivid disappointment, he nursed the bruises of losing the elections silently as he kept travelling outside the country.
His long silence raised concern amongst his friends, relatives and comrades in the SPLA. In respond to the wondering public, General Dau broke the long silence by declaring that “He would never raise a gun against the people he fought for their rights”.
This declaration reassured the speculating public and the government that Maj. Gen. Dau maintained his allegiance not only to the Movement but equally to the community he wanted to serve. The declaration strengthened the public confident in a man who sacrificed his youth-hood for the freedom of the people. He was therefore asked to convince the Late Gen. George Athor who had rebelled against the government on similar ground.
Dau responded positively and engaged Athor in the talks to abandon armed upsurge but the later turned deaf ears to the advice. Gen. Dau argued against the rationale of the insurgency on the ground of failure in elections.
Through this period, Gen. Dau conversation was always dominated by the measures that could address the issues of armed violence in South Sudan. He stressed on the need to disarm the militarized communities and prioritizing education which could disarm the youth mentally to raise informed generations.
Shockingly, what triggered the rebellion of Gen. Dau at the time Dr. Riek resumed his usual hobby after all those good ideas is a clear blurring of his dreams. In the deliberate destruction caused by Dr. Riek’s ambitious greed for power, Gen. Dau seems to have forgotten his vision for a peaceful South Sudan that he fought for. The General therefore needs to meditate over what he is voluntarily dragging himself into.
As a reminder, the citizens of Northern Bhar El Ghazal are the people Maj. Gen. Dau Aturjong wanted to govern and may preside over them in the future. It is ridiculous if Dau brings unjustified war to these innocent citizens. The author urges Gen. Dau to abstain from this irrational violence and seeks his demand by designing a peaceful strategy.
The author temporarily lives in Kampala and can be reached at: mayenreech@gmail.com
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