The Fallen Heroes: Martyrdom Day of 30th July 2017 in Memory of Dr. John Garang
7 min readBy David Matiop Gai, Juba, South Sudan
July 31, 2017 (SSB) — Dr. John Garang (himself a foreseeing, a prophet and a gift of God to humanity in South Sudan), Most of the songs sung by Koryom battalions and many army battalions are his prediction about the lives of his comrades and his own, and this is what he said of life history matters in Dinka when he was addressing Koryom Battalions in Bongo Ethiopia earlier in 1984-1985 that, (Ee pane aa leer wɔ, acin raan dɔng ee pane aa nyic Nhialic man ye adhony da), which means he literally interpreted that, “this land will take us all, and God knows the land is ours”.
How many times Dr. John Garang survived from attempted assassinations? Over international and regional media you heard fake news about John Garang’s death and later on he was spoken, even the incident death in helicopter crashed in 2005, Many South Sudanese couldn’t believe until his dear wife Mama Rebecca spoke publicly. Dr. John Garang survived many landmines in jungles of Southern Sudan, and also escaped many plans against his life from the enemy. May be God knows what he was commissioned him for the sake of South Sudanese people. I know each and every person has his/her own day to leave the world but John Garang was a prophetic South Sudanese leader if you follow whatever he says in secrets, private, and public speeches.
In honour of him on Martyrs day together with brothers and sisters, sons and daughter of South Sudan who perished during the liberation struggle in Southern Sudan jungles, all heroes and heroines, we commemorate 12 Anniversary of Dr. John Garang de Mabior death on 30th July 2017 every year and all South Sudanese comrades in honour our top giant commander, the dedicated African son who concluded the mission of liberation struggle by facing his death knowingly.
In many occasions, Dr. John Garang de Mabior foretold his death joyfully, and here are what he said, “I joined the movement with total commitment and dedication. I am resolved to give the ultimate sacrifice, my life, for I am bound by nothing else but duty and commitment to Africa and African people”, Dr. John Garang in the 1970s.
So thus many stories began of the Sudan people Liberation Movement, in 1983, (SPLM), which Garang fought African‘s longest civil war between majority Christians from Southern and Muslims in Northern Sudan, Garang faced Khartoum military and convinced Southerners to concluded liberation struggle which generations of Southerners by then tried and failed. But Garang learned mistakes of why Southerners failed to achieve independence of South Sudan; he used possibilities of military and political tactics in order to achieve a country where he will not be called a bit or slavery and a country where he will be first class citizens.
Garang learnt problems of land grabbing of African Kingdoms of Nubians, Darfur, in northern parts Sudan by Arabs and culture erosions as Arabs ideology of Arabs culture insists that their culture is the best, but Garang vowed that this rampant invasion should not happen in the Southern Sudan, and this is what he said in Dinka during his visitation to Bor in 2004, (ye ɧo ee ke ¥eer tie? Ye ¥ɔɔk ka ye keen? Aa ye ¥ɔɔk, ɦoow, keriec eben aye yook, ku piny acii yook, agut ci raan thiekic aye bε dhieth) which mean he asked people, what am I seeing there? Are those white there cows or birds? People answered him, those are cows. He said, ok, you can lose everything, and you can get it back, even the important person can die and will be born again, but if you lost land, you lost it forever. He was with those of Riek Machar who destroyed properties and lives in Bor in 1991 but Garang encouraged Bor people in another way to forget whatever they have lost because they lost lives and properties for the sake of our land.
Between 1983, and 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, Sudan civil war took two million lives and displaced four million lives more, but John Garang claimed his death publicly in Nya stadium in Nairobi Kenya, that “while I leave the world after to those who claimed they have divine qualification”. John Garang as a prophet delivered a prophetic message about his death and the future of South Sudan. He was telling something secret to the listeners and revealing trouble-makers who were disturbing the movement when all south Sudanese people went to bush to liberate themselves and their land but later on, groups of people who claim they know something better than Garang returned to Arabs in Khartoum as they rebelled against John Garang in system of liberation.
Dr. John Garang well articulates the best and future of South Sudan, and how he knows problems may arising as challenges of nation building. He said, “There is no problem in Southern Sudan when Arab used to say, what the problem of Southern Sudan is? Garang further said, there is no problem at this time, the problem is the north Sudan problem, and problems of South Sudan will come” so Garang knows whether he will be around or not, problems of South Sudan will come because those who caused problems in the bush or claim they have divine qualification will cause problems, and we are at the brinks of those problems right now.
What a martyred leader who knows himself as a human sacrifice to his people? He told people what he had been doing as not for self-glory when he asked citizens to contributed whatever they have for liberation of our country, and this is what he said, “people accuse me of killing our sons and eating up people’s farms produces for nothing but let me tell you this, our blood will be shed because I hate oppression and marginalization of our but I will not even enjoy the fruits of this struggle. There are people sleeping comfortably right now; they don’t know the hunger or sound of the gun. After our job is done that generation will take over, they will cut a large piece of land with pangas and sell it cheaply for a bottle of beer”. Dr. John Garang, 1990.
This is what is happening right now. People who were actually not part of struggle came in and they are cutting South Sudan’s piece of land with pangas and they are selling it cheaply for a bottle of beer. Others are even not concern about the future of South Sudan. They see South Sudan and how likely it is running away with its resources. When I see our country and as a person who contributes to liberation, its gives me grieves, because the reasons we were fighting Arabs was to make everyone feel first class citizen.
Lastly, Dr. John Garang in memory of him, his premature death leaves an unfulfilled mission and uncertainty in South Sudan, yes President Salva Kiir did his part and fulfilled 75% of what Garang left but all the rebels who rose against Garang in the bush for sake of leadership increasingly rose against Salva with thunder bomb in mess of South Sudan in these critical faces of unbearable crisis. Therefore, Garang is and will be our unchangeable icon of peace and symbol of unity because at last, everybody in South Sudan understood what he had been doing was the goodness of South Sudanese people, and later on, after his death, everyone appreciated him for the good job done and his life sacrifice.
Long live our touch Bearer, and father of Nation Dr. John Garang de Mabior,
Long live our touch path to independence President Salva Kiir Mayardit,
Long live comrades and veterans of South Sudan,
Long live our heroes and heroines on the martyrdom day of July 30, 2017.
Thank you very much.
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