Solemn tribute to the late Mathuc Mayuol Acuil (Mathuc Anyuat Ayii)
BY BOL MADUT AYII, Juba, South Sudan
November 23, 2016 (SSB) —- If God could permit I would have hold you back just for few minutes such that I listen to your wise and fruitful advises Mathuc Anyuat. It was exactly at 11 AM on Thursday the 17th of this month that I lost my lovely cousin at Queen Medical center in Juba. I know that some of you already know this news because you either part of my family, in my group or friends, or have seen it on social media like Facebook, or twitter. My late cousin Mathuc was well loved and well respected by so many people and it has shocked the entire family and so many of the people we know.
The 17th of this month was another dark day in our family, you departure Mathuc Anyuat exactly reminded me about the death of my late father Madut Ayii (your late maternal uncle) who woke up healthy in the morning and later brought back in the evening as dead body after the merciless culprits took his dear life. I couldn’t believe my ears when I received that sad news from Mawien Bona But, my mind was totally blocked and had no words to say. I never knew that our conversation on Wednesday morning was going to be the last conversation with you my cousin.
My eyes filled up with tears as I heard the news, it never occurred to me, how much I could loss, I find myself wishing that it wasn’t real, every time I think about it, pain is all I can feel, tears fall from my eyes, I can barely see but my heart tells me that you will always be with us Mathuc Anyuat Ayii, I can still feel the soft touch on my shoulder of your loving hands, I lie in bed and cry at night and I don’t feel any better in the morning light, I always woke up in the morning hoping that you will call me saying hello uncle Bol! How was your night but all just in vain.
I really feel bad when I look at our photos that we took together while at the university in Khartoum six years back. Believe me Mathuc Anyuat, life will not be enjoyable as it used to be, all the happiness and joy went with you on that fateful Thursday. You struggled for so long till you proudly achieved your academic dreams with Bachelor of Public Administration awarded in 2014. Due to your patriotism and love for your nation you went to Kampala for military training which you successfully achieved on December 2015 and commissioned with the Rank of First Lieutenant on 22nd August 2016.
I was proud to see you among the young educated officers who attained skills and military knowledge from Uganda. It was my hope that it is now the right time for our nation and people to benefit from your skills and knowledge that you gained from various trainings but unfortunately God said no. you left us in pain Mathuc, my aunt Anyuat Ayii was so proud to have you as the only educated son in her family, she stood behind you all your way from primary school to university thinking that she will one day taste the fruits of her struggle.
I wish we were consulted about your death, one would have ask God to keep you for sometimes. You offered so many services to your friends, relatives and in laws and it was a high time for those you offered your services to do the same to you. I wish I could hold you back Mathuc Anyuat so that we arrange your marriage. There is nothing painful like the death of young man like you who have no child to carry on his name.
If you were to wake up on 19th you would have seen how your people love you Mathuc Anyuat, Juba international airport was almost filled up by the people who accompanied your body to the airport and the same thing during the day of funeral. You were a “man of the people” if I can borrow the term used by African writer Chinua Achebe.
To me particularly, you left the vacuum which is so hard to be fill, nobody who used to advise me like the way you were, although you were three or four years older than me, you were just acting like my late father ,and now that you are simply gone I became orphan for the second time. To who shall I turn to if I am faced with situation that need wise decision to be taken? To whom shall I seek advice at the time that I am faced by conflicting interests? Mathuc Anyuat, you will be missed by your people and particularly myself, Ajak Athuai, Mawien Bona But and Dengdit Ayok who shared with you the same bread and the same room during our days in Khartoum six years back.
You went to Juba international airport in good health thinking that you will come back home after you send the bag to your cousin Nyanut Awien Ayii in Kuajok not knowing that you will be brought back home in coffin as dead body. All the death are painful but your sudden death is more painful my cousin. I wish you were sick so that we as family try our best to treat you. The medical report talked of respiratory and circulatory failure to be the cause of your death, but what could have been the cause of respiratory failure at your early age?
Why God just took your life at your youthful age when your family and your country are in dire need of your services? Indeed we are robbed with a leader. You were such a humble, quiet and loving cousin who always offer time and energy when assigned to any duty. Mathuc Anyuat Ayii, you were a unifying figure and the huge gathering of South Sudanese from various communities proved this beyond doubt. You left the legacy of a good leader. If you were killed by any criminal I am sure he would have been kill the same day by South Sudanese who are not even from your direct blood family.
Your family members are proud of you because you did something in the few years that you spent on this world, your colleagues in uniform stood firmly with us at this difficult time and they deserve all the word of thanks and appreciation, I remember the words of your colleague Hussien Dafalla Rejab who spoke on behalf of your colleagues, Rejab said that you were one of the few who treated people equally regardless of their ethnicity or Religion, this is your legacy and I wish you were to woke up during the funeral on Tuesday to see how your people missed you.
You were everything to our family and particularly to me. I am writing this piece as tribute to your dear soul while holding tears, tears of shock and sadness.
In conclusion, I would like to thank our dear sister Adut Bona But for trying her best to rush her cousin to Queen medical center as an attempt to seek treatment, it is not easy for a young girl like Adut to lost a cousin in her own hands at hospital, I was frustrated when Adut told me that Mathuc Anyuat died while smiling.
To my aunt Nyanut Ngor Malok (Nyanut Awien Ayii), you did your part to educate your cousin till he graduated from University and later became a national officer, it was a time for him to help us all but, God just called him back to where we all belongs, there is nothing that we can do besides praying for his soul.
To colleagues of Mathuc in uniform, I am kindly appealing to you in particular to continue the relationship which Mathuc built between us. Your roles as young men in uniform is to protect the territorial integrity of South Sudan and to provide security to South Sudanese and their properties regardless of their religion or ethnicity, and by doing so, Mathuc will be happy to you wherever he maybe.
To those who might have grievances in one way or another with my cousin, please forgive him and pray for his soul to rest in peace, I know he was a humble young man who don’t have problem with anybody, but human being can make mistake in one way or another.
I missed you so dearly Mathuc Anyuat Ayii, your image will never go away from my memory and am already lonely moving hopeless alone on the streets of Juba and particularly street to St. Joseph Church where we used to pray together.
May your Soul Rest In peace my Cousin.
The author, BOL MADUT AYII, graduated with a bachelor of law from Juba University; he can be reached via his email: bol ayii <bolayii93@gmail.com>
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