7th Anniversary: Remembering Abyei Paramount Chief Kuol-Adol Deng Kuol

Media Release: Martyred Paramount Chief of Ngok Dinka remembered on death anniversary; community expresses frustration over the lack of action on his case.

Saturday, May 03, 2020 (PW) — On Monday, the Dinka Ngok community – including those living in Melbourne, Australia, and around the world – mourned the 7^th Anniversary of the killing of Amir Kuol Deng Kuol (Kuol-Adol), Paramount Chief of Dinka Ngok of Abyei, South Sudan’s contested border town.

Kuol Adol was shot dead by Misseriya gunmen while traveling under UN protection in a UNISFA convoy in northern Abyei on 4 May 2013. He was killed in a standoff between UNISFA troops and Misseriya herders in the disputed region, which lies between Sudan and South Sudan.

Despite the establishment of a joint investigation committee shortly after his death, Kuol Adol’s family members, along with the wider South Sudanese community, expressed frustration that after 7 years, this committee has never produced any public findings.

“After all these years, nothing has happened with my father’s case. There are so many questions that have never been answered, and it is important to the grieving process and peace of mind of our family and community to have some resolution on this,” said Kuol Adol’s son, Alor Deng, who lives in Melbourne, Australia.  

Since Kuol Adol’s death, the violence and bloodshed in Abyei has worsened. Already in 2020 there have been several violent incidents, including an attack on 22 January killing 32 people and wounding 24 others, and another on 14 April where four people were killed in the village of Mabok, 17 miles south-east of Abyei town.

Kuol Adol’s family established the Paramount Chief Kuol Adol Foundation, to commemorate Kuol Adol’s vision of peace, justice and fairness. Plans were underway within South Sudanese government to fund the foundation, but were disrupted when the 2013 civil war broke out. The aim of the foundation remains to promote social inclusion and development in Abyei, along with the restoration of cultural values, peace, and hope.

“Although we have suffered so much grief and pain from our loss, which resulted from the hostilities between the Misseriya and Dinka Ngok people, in the diaspora many of us are committed to promoting peace in Abyei and working to improve life there. I hope that one day the Abyei area residents and their neighbours can coexist harmoniously”, said Deng.

Media contact:

Alor Deng

M: +61 469669222

E: Alordeng86@gmail.com

Paramount Chief Kuol Adol Foundation: https://www.facebook.com/PCKAF/

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PaanLuel Wël

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PaanLuel Wël is the founder and editor-in-chief of PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd, a news website that covers news, opinions, analysis, history, culture and literature of South Sudan and the world. Founded in July 2011 by PaanLuel Wël to create a platform for free expression and constructive dialogue, the website features articles from various contributors, including columnists, commentators, poets, authors, activists and academics. PaanLuel Wël believes that media can play a vital role in informing, educating and empowering the people to participate in nation-building and social transformation. He also believes that media can foster a culture of dialogue, tolerance and diversity among different communities and groups, and hopes to inspire and mentor the next generation of South Sudanese writers and journalists.

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