I was captured and detained for hours, escaped and survived to tell the story
7 min readBy Kuanydito Makuei, Juba, South Sudan
July 14, 2016 (SSB) — I was captured, detained for an hour, then escaped and survived what I would call the indomitable death. But first, Ladies and Gentlemen let me back up things a little bit. On Monday 11, July 2016 (this week) I planned my journey to leave Uganda and come back to Juba, South Sudan. On the same day when I told my sister and her husband that I would be leaving for Juba they vigorously disputed my journey citing unsteadiness of Juba.
Few hours later I met one of my clan mates from Ajuong (sorry, I forgot his name) and told him the same, he actually retaliated by advising me; ‘why don’t you wait for few days so that things can get normalised in Juba’. Previously my own Brothers De Kuany Atem, Kuany Peter Deng and Aguer Kuany has continuously been advising me to stay in Uganda for sometimes.
Tuesday 12, morning, I decided to continue my journey anyway. My only motivation was to get back to Juba, get back to where I live and do my businesses. But nothing was operational in Juba, not even the offices, no business, even homes where not operational. I arrived in Nimule (border) at 10 AM and decided to confirm the situation in Juba Capital and the road to Juba.
I asked few of my men about ‘the situation’, all their advice was ‘impede this journey’ and until now the voice of my friend Deng Atem-Mathiai (Van der Ayiik) in text message is still ringing in my mine; ‘PLEASE DON’T COME THE ROAD IS VERY BAD’. Besides, I continued my journey to Juba at 11 am, on the way we encountered a lot of roadblock and got stopped by SPLA Soldiers telling us that there is no going to Juba because of insecurity on the road.
We kept on lying to them that we were going to the nearby village town called Moli. Again, we received scores of signals from cars coming from Juba screening that there was dangers ahead. I am not just counting advices, am counting the voices that could have save live(s). As we reached the foot of Jebel Leel which is just about 25 Miles from Juba we heard a lot of gunshot ahead of us.
Another woman suddenly emerged out of the bush sweating as if he was cursed; she told us that she is one of the escapees, these people are near here and we must move out quickly. We accepted her claims hurriedly drive back to Aru Junction. We gave first aid to 11 victims who were shot by the gunmen. They (victims) told me that two (2) people were still hiding in the bush, one of them who was our driver called Atem is your tribe mate (continued the man who was shot at right leg), he is shot at the back and could not move.
I almost went crazy when I heard the news of ‘my tribe mate’. They (Atem passengers) gave me his phone number, I talk to him (Atem) and promised that I can’t do anything else rather than coordinating on his help. The car I came with from Nimule when back and all the victims were taken to Nimule. I decided to remain behind and coordinate on the helps of Atem (my tribe mate) and a Nubian who were in the hide.
I went to the nearby Military Barrack, narrating the whole story to their commander requesting on how we could rescue these people (Atem and Nubian) from being finished by those uncompromising gunmen. He painfully told me that they don’t have a car and the only thing we can do is to call the Team in Juba to come to their rescue. We (Task Force Commander and me) succeeded and Atem and Nubian were finally taken back to Juba. I heard that Atem who later happen to be my Clan-mate did not make it, I regret that.
I am now tormented in my heart that all my effort of saving his life was reduced to nothing. I slept in Military Barrack and went back to Nimule the following morning, as I was urged by the family to do so. On Tuesday 12 at 3 PM I was already in Nimule. I decided to stay around the Juba-Park though I was actually called by one of my relative to come to where he was.
At 4 PM we were deceived that the road to Juba was open so I boarded a mini bus. We continued our journey; there was no roadblock this time. Just after riding for about 30 minutes from Nimule we dived into IO-Soldiers ambush. We were told to alight and lay down. Our phones were taken; my bag in which my personal computer was in was yanked out of my hand.
We were told to identify ourselves; they said ‘anyone who is Dinka will die right now’. Each of us was asked to tell his names and tribe. I told them that my names are Thomas Oyath, am Shilluk of Panyikang and our village is Lelo. The other three Dinkas I was with all hide their identity and claim that they belong to different tribes. We were all about 13 from two different cars coming from two different directions.
We were grouped into two groups of South Sudanese and Ugandan (East African). Another Ugandan who tend not be moving well and tend not to obey their orders was brought in front of us and shot dead with six bullet landing on his chest and head. They (IO-Soldiers) told us that this is a clear example and warning, if anyone try to ‘give us some sort of headache’ or try to escape he will die like this man.
I just knew that I would surely die. I counsel myself to keep thing normal outside, but I was actually dead inside myself. The first question I asked myself was why did you (myself) ends family’s dream, why did you inflict sufferings to children (brothers and sisters children), why didn’t you listen to advices, why did you ends your own life, why? Why? Why?
Apart from anticipated future help that I may renders in the family, am the Last-Born in our Extended Family and everyone in the family wanna see me alive. I tended to blame myself while it was actually too late. Another car from Juba abruptly came in, they (IOs Soldiers) tried to stop them but they refused to stop, and they first shot the driver, the car stopped and they killed all passengers.
We were detained for an hour. After a while an army vehicle came and fighting erupted, we were caught in the middle of fire. While the IO-Soldiers were absorbed on fighting, we (three of us) tried to sneak and run into the bush, we run without looking back. Though they commended two of their soldiers to chase us we out-raced them.
You know, I mean, there is this traditional song widely sung in Bahr el Ghazal; chorus (Maraam aca wuor, maraam aca wuor, aca wuor, aca wuor te rielic…) which can literally be translated as; I (owner of the song) outraced Maraam in a very tied race. The guy who has this song might have actually outraced ‘Maraam’, but I (myself) outraced IO-Soldiers in a strict and very tide race.
Thanks God. I moved in the bush trying to avoid villages because the locals of those areas seem to be collaborating with IOs. Seven (7) hours moving in the bushy jungle toward Nimule. I negotiated valleys and hills, the grasses were tall beyond my height and could not see beyond one meter in front of me, fallen tries prevented my ways, thorns, rocks… I was very exhausted, I fall down tenth times.
I didn’t thinks of wild animal that might devour me; I was not even thinking of IO-Soldiers anymore. My only worry was that I may fell down, break my leg or sustain major injuries that may prevent my ways back to Nimule.
I sat down for a while and talk to myself, I said look you are going to die in the valleys, your relatives will not entomb you and you will never be a myth. Again, my heart swayed that look you can make it. I arose at once and move till I reached the main road where I met SPLA Soldiers who generously took me to their Military Base.
Hold on, I am not just telling you a mere story, am telling you that I survived a real death. It’s not funny, I was dead, dead. I would have not blame God or anyone for my death but my own choices, I mean a wrong choices of deciding coming to Juba whatsoever though an advise of it being pretty risky echoed in my hears more than ten times.
I finally make it Juba yesterday in well-guarded convoys. Until now I don’t feel like I am a life.
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