Polataka Face Foundation: Dr. John Garang’s predictable seeds for the New Sudan (Part 1)
7 min readBy David Matiop Gai, Juba, South Sudan
May 16, 2016 (SSB) — In line with the commemoration of SPLM /A 16 May started in 1983, which today mark 33rd Anniversary of the year 2016, I am privilege and honor to highlight some memories of Dr. John Garang’s predictable seeds for the New Sudan, the Polataka Seed Seasons: A Barn of the New Sudan Future which is today the Republic of South Sudan. The politburo of Polataka Face Foundation Red Army Camp in the bush era was a significant SPLM/A two wings of Army roles, and political roles with the Title of Dr.John Garang’s Politburo predictable SPLM Future in South Sudan and I prescribed courses of action to be follow by comrades in Face Foundation who were also the camp dwellers to read from part one to part ten and add what is remaining to incorporate us as we are now in top list important heroes and heroines of our beloved country.
I know South Sudan is a home country of many heroes and heroines, but we cannot deny many people contribution to the struggle and we cannot accept everybody to be heroes, the fact remained that when we were in the bush, not all South Sudanese who fought Arabs, some were alliance except in Referendum, but this referendum cannot qualify one to be a hero. Yes, it is true; this is where we lost our respect. We will be known in the history as true heroes, and the Polataka face Foundation history will talk for us, and it will also insight far beyond our expectations. History looks opposite when deviated, and moreover we are so proud of good job.
Dr. Garang said, “Some people think that CPA just come from the blue or it’s had fallen on the tree, no, we are the one who brought it”. This is how I justify the claims of some people who received what they never toiled for it, that not everybody who pretended the suffering of movement is a hero in South Sudan as others say, it is more than saying a word, and if anyone think so, I will come up with my Polataka camp evidences of 17 years in the bush, along suffering we went through, and how we survived in those years as soldiers at the ages of 13-29 years without food, parents advices and via-versa, until we grown up and got married in the bush, woo! Three generations of left home children and grew to grandfathers/mothers, fathers/mothers and children in the bush.
The memories blessings of a great leader in the years of struggled to the Polataka Face Foundation camp which I believe my comrades of Polataka camp in those years who have good memories can make amendment on this historic article if it requires researching. But from the long readings, we shall go through many experiences of the civil war in the Sudan; we want to know what Polataka is? Why is it important? How the place is notice? Who make it to be Red Army Camp? When Polataka becomes Jiec al Amer barrack? What is the strategic of Polataka? Why Dr. John Garang de Mabior chosen, blessed the area and the Red Army living in it? Why he choose Polataka? It is actually an amazing. It is an action of a leader. It is his choice. A leader has an authority, authority to bless people when he is happy, and authority to curse when he is disappointed. Therefore, let begin our reading with brief history of Polataka as a place and a Face Foundation camp of Red Army.
What is Polataka? Polataka is a Boma in Magwei County of the former Eastern Equatoria state, currently Imatong State. It is located south east of Magwei County, 2 kilometers along Parajok high road before you reach to the roundabout of Paluer and Paam. In the Sudan, before session, Polataka was an elementary secondary school alongside Rumbek Senior secondary school, Malek secondary school, and Loka secondary school. It was a well established elementary secondary situated in fertile area for Agriculture. Polataka was a strategic town for SPLA/SPLM to restore their human resource for two purposes: Education and military. Beside the two purposes, Polataka buildings were very standard comparing to other towns in Southern Sudan by then, and even in Juba, some buildings in Polataka were not in Juba.
When the second civil war started on the 16th of May 1983 in Malualchat barrack in Bor town, the formation of Sudan People Liberation Movement and Army (SPLM/A) was made few months following the arrival of Southern intellectuals in Bongo in Ethiopia. After the training of some battalions of 105, 106, Jamuth, Timtha, Koryom, and Mour mour, in around 1984, 1985, and 1986, the SPLM leaders who were part of the first war had learned mistakes in Anya-nya I where SPLM/SPLA Dr. John Garang, Kuerbino, William Nyuon, Arok Thon, President Salva Kiir and other officials remembered the failures of Anya Anya I, and laid down proper strategies on how to fight the war against Khartoum regime, and they executed a political prodigy of Southern Revolutionary strategy, where young people (our fathers and us), endowed with exceptional qualities or abilities to fight Arabs voluntarily with the motto to bring back our African freedom and human dignity, which was block in form of oppression from generations to generations. To bring back a so called the first class citizen in your own country.
In the Anya-Anya one, only Dr. John Garang, and President Salva Kiir were the young soldiers in the ranks and files of the Anya Anya I. But it was realized back that success will not come to Southern Sudan if the young people are not part of what the southerners would have decided to do. Even humanity is continuing on lineage of birth because of routine of production. So the SPLM/A decided to involve youths in their activities of struggle liberation. In 1986-1987, SPLM/A opened many camps of Red Army along Sudan – Ethiopia border in Itang, Panyundu, and Dimo respectively.
Earlier in 1988-1989, SPLA captured many strategic towns in Southern Sudan including Nasir, Jogkou, Akobo, Ayod, Bor, Mangalla, Pibor, Pouchalla, Boma, Kapoeta, Torit, Chudum, Ikotus, Upper Talanga, Lemery, Loboni, Kachanga, Omeri, Agata, Magwei, Parajok, Owinychibul, Pageri, Nimule, Kecjie Kecjie, Kaya, Morubo, Maridi, Munduri, Yambio, Azara, Izoo, and Tumbura, and list is so long. With this ability, the SPLM as a party had conquered almost half of Southern Sudan, and came up with enough strategy to educated children in the areas of their territories in English language as a mean of delivering services to people. The vision of SPLM of “taking town to people rather than people to town” was an oldest vision since we were using learning under the trees, and charcoals and cassava were our chocks for writings.
Specifically in 1987, tens of thousands of children from greater Upper Nile, greater Bahr el-Ghazal, and greater Equatoria left for Ethiopia and boast into camps in the above mentioned areas, while within Southern Sudan, Dr. John Garang was still planning more camps and specially within the areas of his commands, he ordered commander Kuol Manyang and commander Awet Akot to bring more children to schools within Southern Sudan. In the year of 1989, schools were opened in my area as well as other areas, and I was sent to school by parents at the age of 13 years old. The parents were also advised not to marked child foreheads and removing of lower teeth of their children as the tradition concern which is always happening in many parts of South Sudan specially in communities of Dinka, Nuer, Murle, Mundari, Lotuko, Bhari, and many others. The order was accepted, because SPLA don’t joke in those years.
It was the SPLM order of the day because marks on forehead, removable of lower teeth, and other signs were causes of division in South Sudan as we know its origin based on interest of identification, classes of tribes, and more division. The SPLM strategy was rooted in African traditions as a party in the heart of Africa and Dr. John Garang was building SPLM leaders whom their educational background ended in primary and secondary school levels because South Sudanese graduates in America, UK, Kenya, Uganda, feared bush life which is not bearable. He also putted his trusted and hope on young people as he nickname Polataka Face Foundation: Seeds for New Sudan with season of wavelets change. Thanks you so much for reading and you will get more of the topic in next page.
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