Reflection of an Unaccompanied Minor: The 1987 Long March from Bor to Pinyundo, Ethiopia
This article is based on my life history from South Sudan to Ethiopia in November 1987, when I was a child. I was among unaccompanied children known as Red Army (Jech El Amher).
By Ayuen Achiek Mayen, Bor, South Sudan
Tuesday, January 12, 2021 (PW) — I used to look after the cattle when I heard some boy’s names being proposed to go to Pinyundo for education and I was not among them, I was upset when I did not hear my name. On 30th November 1987, we arrived in Pinyundo, in the morning. What we saw in the camp was different from what we have heard in Pochalla. The place was not like what we heard, it was totally different. There were no houses built for us as what we were told. We slept under the trees and it was not safe for us.
To begin with, it was around midday, when late uncle Philip Mii Anyieth Dhol came to Anyanglangkher with late Maker Deng Malou and Kuol Manyang Juuk,forcing parents of children to allowed kids, whose their names were not written to go to Ethiopia while all children were taken to Bochdhoro waiting for the day they will be commanded to leave for Ethiopia. I was hidden not to go with unaccompanied children and my mother was happy for me not to go. The late Malou asked uncle Philip that is there no other child here?
He replied yes, and I was under Gu (Silo). I said here I am, and he called me to come out, and he asked Mii why do you say no? Uncle replied to him that we have no authority to allowed him to go to Ethiopia because his parents did not allowed us. He mentioned that he is my sister son from Pamöu. On that moment, my mother approached them and said he is still young and he cannot be able to handle the way. Therefore, Malou asked me, if I can be able to make it to Ethiopia, and then I told him yes, I need to go to school like other children. Now, Ihave accomplished my mission, I am educated like other colleagues of mines who went before me and my conscience pushed me to insisted.
However, Malou told me to run and I ran and returned to him, I think he was testing my ability whether I can manage the long distant, immediately he told Mii that let him go. I was very enthusiastic of that news and my mother was crying and I did not cared about her crying because she did not wanted me to travel with unaccompanied children anyway. So it was not my business seeing her crying, she was actually calling me not to go and she got upset with Philip Mii.
After all, everything was depending on Maker Deng Malou, known as Jet Fighter and me. However, I was not entertaining being left out and the rests were going to be educators. Hence, I went to Anyidi at the same day with my grandfather, Madit Dhol Deng, the father of my mother. I am very sorry because both of them are not alive including uncle Philip and Maker Deng Malou; I am still extending my gratitude to both of them.
We slumbered in Anyidi Court Centre with my grandpaMaditdit, because we went in the evening hours, so we were told not to travelled to Bochdhoro, in the morning we were preparing and my grandpa said that I would go back home because no one will look after the cattle. I would see if there are people who are going to Bochdhoro, so that you go with them. At around 12midday, Makor Agot came with his mother, so we waitedin Anyidi, but in some few minutes, Gen. Kuol Manyang came to Anyidi and at that time, there were a lot of children who came from Twic, they were there waiting for Kuol and we have joined them while they were singing some songs that we do not know. Therefore,Kuol Manyang Juuk gave his speeches and then we left Anyidi for Bochdhoro at around 2 P.M, we arrived at Bochdhoro at 4 P.M.
On the following afternoon, we left for Game and we took a break and then we left. There was small place we path by up to Kach Tong, we rests in Kach Tong and then on the morning, we moved to Mach Abool. Thus, fromMach Abool, we slept and travelled in the morning to Gumruk, there was an incident occurred in Gumruk, an old man from Murle was sitting along the side of the road, and he said oh! Jongkoth have never crossed our land with little kids like this ‘Pan Apul’I wish I have one of these children.
At that time my uncle Mawut Wuoi who was the leading Commander heard that because he is very fluent in Murle language, he slap an old man properly so that he cannot pass that thinking to their criminals to abducts children. Nevertheless, Mawut Wuoi Yuol was a First Lieutenant (1LT) in the SPLA/M rank. It was one of the scary incidents I witnessed in Gumruk. We reposed in Gumruk and then we proceeded to Pibor. In fact, Pibor was captured in the same year, which is 1987, so the place was stinking badly due to dead bodies around the town. We crossed the river to the other side where we were accommodated, we slumbered there and the commander in Pibor was Madul Kang Jang, he gave us some bullsand we departed in the dawn.
When we were heading to Wukilo, they told us not to carried water because there is water on the way. So many of us did not perturb to carry water. On our way toward Wukilo, things fall apart, we were thirsty and Mawut Wuoi Yuol, who was the leading commander of the first group, told us to sits under the trees because it was so hot and extremely sunny. We were thirsty, between Pibor and Wukilo, I was severely dehydrated and even I drunk from the mud while there was a dead body in the sludge.
The one who really saved my life was Gor Ayuen Gor (Gor Anguat) from Abang Lual Joh, I am very sadden about his passing, he deserved my indebtedness althoughhe is not with us today, He gave me cool water otherwise, I would have not survived. At that time, I comprehended that he is a decent man; I am regretful that the Lord God has taken him away from us. I am grieve about his passing without paying my gratitude to him, May Almighty God rest his soul in peace. Amen.
When we arrived in Pinyundo, I felt sick immediately. My illness was diarrhoea and it has really affected me while my age mates were healthy and some of them were suffering like me too in Pinyundo. Dr. Makur is from Yirol, father to Aluel Makur. He was living in-group 21 and there is one of his daughters married to Achol Jook Mabok in Western Australia, he was the one treating me and admitted me in Hospital and people were admitted under the big tree while the houses were not madded. I was admitted with other children who were impacted by measles, I was caught by measles and whooping coughalready.
Consequently, I was free like Jong Machar Adult; Iquoted this say, because it is not from me. Anyway, one of the boys caught my leg while he is dead. In the morning, Jech Athuot used to collected dead bodies in the morning, they found that boy holding my leg, and I have been talking to him in the night up to in the morning, but there was no responses from him. However, since I was young, they noticed that I was talking with a dead body.
They removed his hand from my leg and then my conscience told me to moved out of that place, I crawledfrom Hospital to where we lived without walking. The caused of my sickness was something I never ate before, that was the problem. What had happened, there were 10 people who were selected to live with me by Jong Alier Kok, and Gor Ayuen Gor (Gor Anguat) was our leader. We used to cook and ate together. The names of those people are as follow:
(1). Gor Ayuen Gor. (2). David Kuol Nyok. (3). Joh Ajith Joh (Joh Ajah). (4). Majur Ayuen Gor. (5). Makor Agot Anyieth. (6). Malueth Ayen Alier. (7). Ayuen Achiek Mayen (Ayuen Achol). (8). Gor Mading Gor (Gor Mathau). (9). Kon Malou Wel. (10). Magor Kuol Bol.These people have helped me a lot because I was sent to search for water and firewood once and I felt sick. So they did everything for me, without them, no one could have searched water and cooked food for me while I was in difficulties. On the other hand, many unaccompaniedchildren from Abang and Kolnyang were grouped like that so that the food can reach everyone appropriately and on time, it was ingenuous for everyone to preparedtheir food without difficulties, that is why it was done like that in my knowledge.
No one among these people mistreated me and I really appreciated all of them, I know there are some people who are missing due to what God has done during the creation, as it is said in the bible that we are all visitors on the world and we have to returns to our Lord Jesus. So some of those people mentioned above are deceased, I have suffered with them and the Lord God have protected us until we left Pinyundo even though some people passed away in South Sudan and the rests of other countries.
I thought that Gor Ayuen Gor (Gor Anguat) will mistreated us, but the guy was very brilliant with giftedskill of leadership to managed young people while he is young too. I will not forget Jong Alier Kok, he was another brilliant guy as well, he was the one leading Abang, I believed the court of Kolnyang too.
In conclusion, as I stated before that I was very excited when I was travelling to Ethiopia, it has become a nightmare to me. When I was sick, my aunty Abeny Anyieth Dhol and those who were with me used to prepared a porridge for me even though I do not managed to finished it, they really cared for me and I will never forget them for that significant services theyoffered to me while I was totally unable to walked not even to do something else. However, our God is good all the time, our God is good.
Actually, we were three group in my knowledge, wewere first group with First Lieutenant Mawut Wuoi, Ayuen Mabior Garang Ajök the second and Chol-Mapëth the third group, I do not know community of Chol in Twic, but he was another person who have done a great job too, Mawut (Abang) and Ayuen Mabior (Gualla) are from Kolnyang. All in all, I thanks the Almighty God for protecting me, and the rests of the children who were suffering like me, may the name of the Lord be praised. Amen.
I would like to take this opportunity to thanks the Almighty God for his splendid safeguard during our journey to Ethiopia while we were unaccompanied children. I believed what I have experienced during that period to Panyindu, everybody among our group felt the same way. It is very difficult for a young person to look after himself without parents, but with the help of the Lord Jesus, many of us survived horrific live, even we used to bury our age mates, which is an abomination legally.
By Ayuen Achiek Mayen (Known as Mading De Ngeth Angoh on facebook)
The author, Ayuen Achiek Mayen (Known as Mading De Ngeth Angoh on facebook), is a concerned South Sudanese citizen who can be reached via his email address: jayuenayuen@yahoo.com
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