Martyrs’ Day: Cry of a revolutionary child
3 min read
Dr. John Garang de Mabior, Co-Founder of SPLM/A
By Jok Kuol Deng, Juba, South Sudan
Friday, July 30, 2020 (PW) — His comrades called him Dictor John, others called him chairman, some called him C-in-C, occasionally beny; These tittles were so close to our up-bringing that two days would not go by without a story being told about him and the revolution.
What made it more intriguing was the fact that our father and the few “uncles” (the men associated with him the most) worked closely with Dictor John; his comrades, as they knew it best.
The mystery was intensified by their frequent but brief late night travels: in and out of our home in Arua, Uganda. The strong smell of sweat and car fuel fumes induced by long travels hooked me more, of course at that time I didn’t process the peculiar smell but just liked it. The khaki, leather and cold dry jackets were also a source of my admiration for the comrades, not to mention the pistols that they would so much try to conceal inside the jackets.
Tales about the chairman didn’t stop, it got obsessive and years on I became obsessed with a revolution I knew so little about; todays big shots were all household names back then because everybody knew pretty much everyone!
Pretty ironic at a time when radio calls and letter writing supplemented word of mouth as the forms of communication, a period of camaraderie that has sadly vanished together with the chairman perhaps.
Luckily our family grew so big that we got so rich in uncles & aunties from Akoot, Angasna, Biemnhom, Bor, Kaya, Kuajok, Malakal, Nassir, Nuba Mountains, Torit, Yambio, Yei, and as far as Shamalia in Sudan, Ethiopia & Eritrea to mention a few.
I certainly heard of some of these places, having grown up in parts of the liberated areas in the 90’s and early 2000’s but the tribe was one! A revolutionary tribe led by Dictor John supported by his comrades.
The revolutionary spirit was infectious! And DictorJohn was to it as George Washington was to the American revolution of the 18th century USA. I stared at his multiple bearded pictures and those in the high command to a point that I felt I knew them all in person.
As we celebrate the chairman’s demise and all the martyrs who passed away, let’s reminiscent the good old days and to the new generation, I only wish our senior citizens educated them through story telling andfinancing of revolutionary documentaries and plays in memory of our founding fathers and mothers for we need similar spirits in this second phase of the revolution. (Social and economic development)
Let’s embrace our diversity and collectively exploit our verse resources for the realization of a peaceful, progressive and prosperous Republic of South Sudan!
Long live the chairman, all the martyrs and Viva South Sudan!
Stay safe, stay well and wish you all a determined martyrs day!
The author, Jok Kuol, is the founder and executive director of Ebony Youth Organization (www.eyossudan.org) and can be reached on abbeba@live.com
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