Gen. Malong Awan is a Peace Laurate, Not a War Criminal, Mr. President
7 min readBy Lucy Ayak Malek, Nairobi, Kenya
October 15, 2017 (SSB) — Your Excellency, President Salva Kiir, however much I am bitter of what is done to my husband; I will never lose sight but remain respectful and humble whenever I am writing to you. This is because I know that you are the president of the Republic of South Sudan, an elder and a family friend to me. I here start by greeting you, the first family and the people of South Sudan that I am proud to be one of them.
Your Excellency, allow me to introduce some South Sudanese once again to the fundamental parts of the story between you and Gen. Malong. On 9th/05/2017, you issued a Republican Decree No:76/2017 for the relief of Chief of General staff, General Paul Malong Awan, and as well issued a Republican Decree No:77/2017 for the appointment of General James Ajonga Mawut as his successor in the SPLA command.
However, such change of guards in the military ranks and files was welcomed by General Paul Malong Awan as it is the constitutional mandate of the president to relieve and appoint any person of his choice. As a result, Gen. Malong decided to leave for Aweil.
While Gen. Paul Malong Awan was on his way home, the top political and security apparatus of the country had a preconceived idea by accusing Gen. Malong of planning to wage war against the country hence directed the Governors along the Road to Bahr el Ghazal to deal with Paul Malong if comes their way. He traveled parts of Equatoria at night hours and in the morning on 10/05/2017, he reached Eastern Lakes State-Yirol, where the authorities under Hon. Bor Wutcok Bor devised a peaceful mechanism (not like the manner they were directed).
In order to approach General Paul Malong Awan, since he does not have any evil plan to set the nation into chaos again like what started from SPLM convention in 2013, he welcomed the approach used by leadership of Eastern Lakes State, and they went together with Governor and his team to the State General Secretariat where the crowds massively turned up waiting for his arrival.
Gen. Malong went to Governor Office and briefed him about his good intention to travel home and subsequently addressed the crowd waiting at Governor’s office to hear from him, and media houses as well. He then assured the whole nation that he will not do anything negative to South Sudan. He continued saying that since he was relieved; he was leaving for farming in his home (Aweil) as it was the start of the rainy season.
The relieve of General Paul Malong Awan was one of the Republican Decree that has set the nation into clouds of fear and confusion, the nation trembled as the expectations for the war seem to had been high. Your Excellency, I believe it was the reason why you send a government delegation to Yirol led by Amb. Telar Marial Takpiny, an intermediary to convince Gen. Paul Malong to give-up his journey home and come back to Juba.
The coalitions of Eastern Lakes community leaders and the team sent from Juba pleaded and managed to mediate with Paul Malong Awan. As he is a man who could listen to people’s voices and at the same time, a credible lover of peace, he accepted the call of the President and the team ‘lured’ him to Juba.
Gen. Malong was popularly received at Juba international airport as the fear diminishes and he was flown to his resident in Juba. To our dismay, the house was surrounded by the security personnel who testify later that Gen. Paul Malong Awan is “under house arrest.” The mediators who participated as a team to lure Malong back to the capital city, Juba, have probably taken a backseat to intervene in the confinement of Gen. Paul Malong Awan, both, the delegation sent by the president under Amb. Telar Marial Takpiny and Governor of Eastern Lakes State-Yirol, Hon. Bor Wutcok.
Sincerely, Gen.Paul Malong was brought from Yirol under the pretext of “reconciling” with you the president. But Your Excellency, I wonder if it is you that led down the mediators or the reverse is true for that matter for there was nothing done in relation to reconciliation but just the confinement!
Mr. President, in candid and honest view, relieves of Gen.Paul Malong was based on unsubstantiated motives and allegations which were purely nothing but conspiracies best known to “conspiracy masters.” The same conspiracy masters have done this several times before by colliding you with everyone in the party, in the army and in the political arena: there they are in for it again.
In fact, Mr. President, you failed to understand that such conspiracies were cooked by those who are in for double-standard. This is how political maneuvering work, to weaken someone politically and militarily, identifies his powerhouse. Since Gen. Paul Malong Awan was one of the few military generals who is your fearless friend that can tell you the truth, a strategist, tactician, a creative military thinker; and most importantly, having an absolute allegiance to you.
The “conspiracy masters” have actually devised and strategized the last most successful mechanism against you without you knowing what has really happened. These double-faced political and military men are penetrating into their real territory of success if you are not looking back and identified the real enemy between Malong and them.
In my sober view, Mr. President Salva Kiir Mayardit, it’s time to practice a law of ‘Reciprocal altruism’ which gives a reverse favor than mistreating Gen. Malong. 2013 debacle is a practical testimony that a man of your kind and Malong could not be believed to be enemies at the “11th hour.”
Mr. President, Gen. Paul Malong Awan is your ardent supporter, socio-political friend, a man who can do what it takes to woo the masses to support you, a nationalist, a statesman, and most notably a man who loves humanity. It is imperatively very difficult (if not impossible) to get a person who has absolute allegiance for the nation, Malong is one such individual and a proof is his sacrifice (together with others) to fight a revolutionary war which gave birth to what we currently called The Republic of South Sudan.
And his staunch defense of the constitution during the crisis not because I like to do so. He is not ready to betray the struggle and the cause he fought for 21years plus unless you keep pushing him to the wall like you accepted to do as the conspiracy masters need.
As I conclude, I would want to substantiate and point out to you Mr. President that Gen. Paul Malong Awan is a Laureate of Peace Not a War Monger. It is opaquely and clearly known by everyone that Gen. Paul Malong Awan was awarded Honorary Doctorate by one of the Sudanese recognized Universities known as Al Neelain University, a special recognition of his immense contribution in maintaining peace among the Misseriya, Rezeigat (Arabs tribes) and Dinka Malual tribe during his term as a governor for the former Northern Bahr el Ghazal.
Speaking in Juba during the event attended by you the president of the Republic of South Sudan, The University Representative Prof. Al Rashid Ismail said “we had decided to recognize Mr. Malong Awan for encouraging social peace among Misseriya, Rezeigat and Dinka Malual tribes. Our University would offer 100 scholarships to South Sudanese in Malong’s name, and the faculty of Pharmacology’s building will also be renamed as Paul Malong’s Building” said Prof. Ismail.
On a similar notice, as a President of the Republic, you called and encourage Misseriya, Rezeigat and Dinka Malual tribes of Sudan and South Sudan to keep their social fabric intact as neighbors has been started by Malong Awan when he was a governor.
With this rich recitation Mr. President, Gen. Paul Malong Awan is a Laureate of peace not a Laureate of war; he loves social and peaceful coexistence of people even neighbors.
Mr President, my husband is not a criminal but statesman, free him.
Lucy Ayak Malek is a wife to Former Chief of General Staff, Gen. Malong Awan and can be reached via her email: Ayak Malek <ayakmalek@gmail.com>
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