Obituary: Tributes to the 95-Year-Old Mary Acholdit Akol Dual Who Nurtured Jesh Amer in Panyidu, Ethiopia

The Biography of Mary Acholdit Akol Dual, the 95-year-old heroine who contributed to the liberation of South Sudan by nurturing and caring for the patients and unaccompanied minors at Panyudo Refugee camp in Ethiopia from 1988-1990.

By Peter Bul Deng Bul Ayiik, Juba, South Sudan

Monday, June 21, 2021 (PW) — On Saturday, 19 September 19, 2020–All family members, relatives, and friends are still in deep shock due to sudden death of our motherAcholdit Akol Dual in Bweyale/Kiryandongo, Uganda where she lived with the family of her son.

Early life of Mary Achol Akol Dual

Mary Acholdit Akol Dual was born in January 1925 at Ayual village called Piom-Agem near Padool cattle camp and Duk de kuach of Ayual in Nyuak Payam, Twic East, Jonglei State, South Sudan. AcholditAkol was born with her twin brother called Mabior Akol who later died as a boy. She was raised with several siblings from her mother and step-mothers. The twins Achol and Mabior Akol were born to the second wife of Akol Dual Ador Dual who was the headman or chief of Anyang in Ayual clan, a position that was later succeededby his elder son Arok Akol Dual, followed by grandson Ador-Thiekdeer Arok Akol Dual, Akol Arok Akol, and current chief of Anyang called Akol Ador Arok Akol.

Achol Akol Dual marriage and her family

Achol Akol married in late 1940s to Late Dengdit Bul Ayiik Goch(R.I.P) who died in July 8, 2010 at the age of 102 years. Achol Akolwas married by Dengdit Bul Ayiik Goch as the first of his three wives. Her husband Deng Bul Ayiik is from Pan-Goch, Pagueng, Abek, Twic East, Jonglei State, South Sudan. Achol Akol Dual gave birth to eleven children with Deng Bul Ayiik Goch. 

Achol Akol Dual has left this world for heaven on September 19, 2020. At the time of her death, she was survived by two children, 14 grandchildren, and 18 great-grand-children. Our research from her family members and elders of Ayual shows that Achol Akol Dual was born in January 1925. Her age is estimated to be 95 years oldwhen she died. She died a natural death due to her old age because she was not sick. Her routine medical checkups and lab testing before her death showed no diseases.

Achol Akol Dual was a stronger and loving mother to her nucleus and extended family. She also lived a blessed and patriotic life in this world. She has a strong determination like a lioness. All herchildren, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nephews, nieces, relatives, and all the Jesh Hamer/Red Army generation are proud of her voluntary services in health, nursing, feeding, and charity at Panyudo Refugee Camp and other refugee camps where South Sudanese lived.

She was always caring, generous, and willing to encourage her relatives to marry and raise many children as much as they can. She was a caring mentor to many young men and women across the communities of Twic East, Bor, Nyarweng, and Hol because she knew all her relatives and friends among these communities. She loves her family and relatives to expand in population. She was always encouraging her husband to marry more wives to have many children since it is one of the important goals in Dinka culture.

Achol Akol Dual as a brave protector

After she lost multiple children due to lack of medicines and health facilities in the former Sudan, she becomes a pierce protector to her two daughters, one son, and extended family. She could not allow any person to mess up with her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nephews, nieces. Her bravery and protection forced her sometimes to confront some people who did not respect their personal boundaries. 

Acholdit Akol Dual as a heroine and patriotic citizens.

In 1983, civil war broke out in the Sudan. All the youth and adults joined the civil war to liberate South Sudan from the Arab regime in Khartoum. In 1987, the SPLM/A leadership asked the civilians to send their younger boys to Ethiopia where they will learn and laterjoin the liberation struggle when they are mature. In this contribution of unaccompanied minors, Peter Bul Deng Bul Ayiik, the only surviving son to Achol Akol Dual was registered at the top of the list of boys to go to Panyudo Refugee Camp, Ethiopia. Her husband Deng Bul Ayiik was a sub-chief or Magak and their sons had to be registered first so the families in the clan could also agree to register their sons. These were the boys who were later named as the Red Army of the SPLM/A. The United States immigration service called them the Lost boys and Lost girls of the Sudan or South Sudan. 

The journey of these unaccompanied minors began in early December 1987 across former Jonglei province and other provinces of South Sudan. The boys trekked these long distances from SouthSudan to Ethiopia. Because of her strength, bravery, and determination, Achol Akol Dual gathered her courage even though she was over 50 years old and walked long distances with her sonand his cousins on their way through Pibor and Pachalla to Panyudoin Ethiopia. The children went and experienced many life hardships because of hunger, diseases, nakedness, and lack of shelters at Panyudo Refugee camp. She went and worked as a volunteer at the clinic (also called Akim chuei) in Panyudo Refugee Camp where she helped many vulnerable children who were very sick and malnourished. 

Today thousands of Red Army members remember Honorable Adhar Arop as their mother because she was their caring nurse for the Red Army of Dima Refugee Camp. On the other hand, thousands of the Red Army from Panyudo Refugee camp remember mother Achol Akol Dual (R.I.P), mother Awan Thuch Mapior(R.I.P), and mother Awut Mathiangdit (R.I.P) as their mothers at Panyudo. Awut Mathiangdit was in charge of feeding the children who were mentally sick at Ngaap clinic or ‘Akim Ngaap’ while Achol Akol and Awan Thuch Mapior were in charge feeding the very sick, malnourished, and vulnerable children at Chuei clinic or ‘Akim Chuei’.

During that time, the hospitals used to run out of beds and admission wards were not enough. Some patients had to be discharged before they were fully recovered to open rooms for the new patients. AcholAkol Dual used to take some of these vulnerable patients and nurtured them at her house after they are discharged from the hospitals. She cared for them until they were strong enough to join their groups and schools.

When she was caring for the sick children, Achol Akol Dual observed that many children were dying as they cried for fresh milk from the cows. However, there was no milk because no cows were available in Panyudo. Based on her observation over the suffering and frequent death of children, Achol Akol raised important reports to the camp commander Pieng Deng Kuol and medical doctors to ensure that vulnerable and sick children were fed with cow milk to reduce the malnourishment in Panyudo. The leaderships of Panyudocamp and SPLM/A listened to the grievances and complain of the children through Achol Akol’s reports and thousands heads of cattleof the SPLM/A were moved from Pibor to Panyudo purposely to provide milk to the children at different clinics and groups.

These thousands of cattle were later consumed to save the lives of many Red Army from hunger at Pachalla in 1991 after Sudanese Refuge fled from Ethiopia to South Sudan. They were distributed and slaughtered as food to the groups of the Red Army every week until the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delivered food at Pachalla in 1991. That was the good work of Achol AkolDual to the Red Army of the SPLM/A. 

Achol Akol Dual continued to work at the clinic in Panyudo from 1988-1990. As time went, the number of women who wanted to return home increased at Panyudo and movement of women from Panyudo through Pachalla and Pibor was prohibited due to ambushes and hostilities from the natives on the way. So, women were not allowed to travel alongside soldiers who were heading to frontlines. Being a leader in her mind, Achol Akol organized women in Panyudo and led them to the former SPLA officer Ageer Gum (senior female military officer at Panyudo) and asked her to provide a transportation vehicle for those women from Panyudo to Itang where they could find group of soldiers who were returning to South Sudan. 

Her request was granted and they were transported to Itang. They joined relative soldiers who traveling back to South Sudan. Achol Akol finally returned home after three years at Panyudo Refugee camp and some months in Itang. She walked on foot with other women and relative soldiers from Itang throughPagak, Nasir, Ulang, Awad, Duk, Wernyol, and reached to her home in Khiir Abek or Khiir Adhiok in current Twic East county of Jonglei State. At the age of 50 plus years old, she walked a distance of 700 miles from Twic East, Jonglei State to Ethiopia and back to South Sudan.

Achol Akol fled her home again when SPLM/A split and experienced internal fighting in 1991. She walked another long distance on foot all the way to Lirya/Torit, South Sudan. She was over 60 years old this time but she walked on foot for a distance of 300 miles. She finally got the transportation from Torit to Kapoeta, Narus, and Kakuma Refugee camp where she spent some years before she returned to her home in Twic East County, Jonglei State, South Sudan. You can imagine how stronger this woman was when she was over 60 years old. May God rest her soul in peace Mother Achol Akol Dual. 

So, Acholdit Akol Dual was a heroine who contributed to the liberation of South Sudan by nurturing and caring for the patients and unaccompanied minors at Panyudo Refugee camp in Ethiopia from 1988-1990. Thousands of the Red Army from Panyudo Refugee camp are now educated and work as successful fathers and mothers in USA, Canada, Australia, European Union, East Africa, and South Sudan. Achol Akol’s son (Peter BulDeng Bul) whom she followed is now a successful married man with Bachelor of Business Administration and MBA in Business Management from the United States.

Family of Deng Bul Ayiik Goch and his wives:

A. Achol Akol Dual (first wife) from Anyang, Ayual clan.

1. Yar Deng Bul (married with children to Apirwong, Palek clan in Bor)

2. Amuor Deng Bul Ayiik (married with children to PanBior, Kongor, Twic East and live in Australia with some of her children.

3. Majok Deng Bul (deceased son).

4. Ayiik Deng Bul(deceased son).

5. Adhieu Deng Bul (deceased girl).

6. Kuir Deng Bul(deceased girl)

7. Dau Deng Bul (Deceased son).

8. Arou(Arop) Deng Bul(married with children).

9. Riak Deng Bul(deceased girl).

10. Akhol Deng Bul(deceased girl).

11. Peter Bul Deng Bul who is married with children.

B. Ayen Atem Duot (second wife) from Pan-Juach, Ayolielclan

1. Goch Deng Bul(married with 5 children)

2. Arou(Arop) Deng Bul (deceased girl)

3. Yar Deng Bul (married with children to Padoor, Dachuek clan)

4. Riak Deng Bul (married with children to Padoor Dachuek clan)

5. Bul-maluak Deng Bul(married with children)

6. Gak Deng Bul (married with children to Padoor Dachuek clan)

7. Ayiik-Majong Deng Bul (single)

C. Achiek Mach Nyinkuany (third wife) from Pakoy, Adhiokclan

1. Ayen Deng Bul(married with three children)

2. Arou(Arop) Deng Bul(deceased girl)

3. Riak Deng Bul(deceased girl)

4. Bul-thi Deng Bul(deceased son)

5. Chol Deng Bul(single)

6. Athiei Deng Bul(single)

Family of Akol Dual as the father of Achol Akol Dual:

A.  Children of Athieng Kuot Reech (first wife) from PanDum, Anok, Pakeer clan.

1. Dual Akol Dual2. Arok Akol Dual

3. Garang Akol Dual

4. Adut Akol Dual

5.. Abiar Akol Dual

B. Children of Akhol Yak Aguer (second wife) from Pan-Yak, Ayual clan.​

1. Deng Bul-Achot Kuer who shared the same mother but different father. 

2. Ador-Maral-lual Akol Dual

3. Dual-rawchier Akol Dual

4. Achok Akol Dual (deceased girl)

5. Achol Akol Dual (married with children).

C. Children of Anger Jok Ayual (third wife) from Pathiem, Adhiokclan.

1. Ador-Maketh Akol Dual(married with children)

2. Dual-Mabiy Akol Dual(married with children)

3. Adau Akol Dual(married with children)

4. Arual Akol Dual(married with children)

5. Deng Akol Dual (deceased as a boy).

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