Cornelius Khan – My Life in the SPLM/SPLA in Full Details: Why We Must Rid South Sudan of Tribalism

To His Excellency Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit, the President of the Republic of South Sudan, to other leaders and to whoever it may concern. Dear Excellency the President, some officers are using the powers you have given to them to rob, loot and kill civilians in the country.

“Raan chiem dhier, ku raan nek rou, ku raan nek chok keloi tahrir, baai panda abuk loi riem!” By Jesh Hamer in Markaz Pinyidu/Panyidu 1988 – 1990.

By Cornelius Khan Galuak, Juba, South Sudan

Wednesday, September 01, 2021 (PW) — My Name is Cornelius Khan Galuak Nyak, grandson of Nyuong Nuer first Traditional and customary Law Chief by the Name of Gatluak Nyak Goh Biliw. I was born between 1980 and 1982. I am a former child soldier of the SPLA (Jesh Hamer) from 1988 to 1991. I was conscripted or recruited into the army thru the orders of (Gaid el aam in Arabic or Commander in Chief  Dr. John Garang De Mabior) and the SPLA Headquarters.

My brothers (SPLA Officers; Kwong Danhier Gatluak, Jal Khan Gatluak, Gatloi Riel Gatluak, and many others from my own family who just returned from Bongo in 1987) encouraged me and my two brothers, cousins, and nephews to go to Ethiopia without fear. I, my brothers Gatyong Khan Gatluak and Makuach Khan Gatluak, tens of my cousins and nephews gladly agreed to join the SPLA.

In the Summer of 1988, we the children from NYAL NYUONG  and GANYLIEL NYUONG walked on foot from Nyuong Nuer to YIROL Port of SHAMBEE and were led by SPLA Officers by the names Samuel Jek Chuol and Gai Chuol. We were hundreds of Nyuong Nuer mostly young boys between the ages of 6 to 15.

In SHAMBEE Port, we were loaded into a Steamer/Rafaz/Babura container(sendel) which is only and always used for carrying Diesel and that was out of fear that some of us may escape especially the ones who were not willing to go to BONGO/BONGA or BILPAM or PINYIDU.

We suffocated and some of us (Jesh Hamer) when thru terrible diarrhea during the course of our journey between SHAMBEE and ZIAMZIAM. We got out of the Babura in Ziamziam and were transported to MADING BOR where we rested for a few days in anticipation of the really long journey on foot to  Pinyidu. 

There was terrible fear of hunger and thirst especially in SAHARA AJAKGEER and SAHARA TIGILING. We walked on foot from Mading Bor to Pinyidu for a couple of weeks but by the grace of God survived the hunger and the thirst. We witnessed some serious thirst in Sahara Ajakgeer but God sent us some small rain which rescued our situation.

For Weeks we trekked and reached Pinyidu when most of us were practically skeletons and walking dead. Upon eating food(Degig papa) a kind of mixed wheat flour with meat, sugar, and other things I was not sure of for the first time after Weeks without food, many died just for eating. Some of us survived and were nursed for months till we recovered from the Malnutrition. 

After some months, we were introduced to some Primary education but that did not take long. In the Autumn of 1989, it was time for military training in Markaz Pinyidu Military Training Camp. Before the training, we JESH HAMER who were NUER, DINKA, SHILLUK, NUBA, and other SUDANESE that I didn’t know their tribes then were put together and mixed up.

We were very much united by our COMRADESHIP and will go about singing, marching, and praising the Mighty SPLA/SPLM with songs glorifying Dr. John Garang De Mabior, Kerubino Kuanyin Bol, William Nyuon Bany, Salva Kiir Mayardit, and countless other SPLA Officers. We also sing songs to our leaders and those who were in charge of us in Pinyidu especially Pieng Deng, Jurkuch Barach Jurkuch etc.

In the evening, we will go and enjoy playing KURA SHURAAB, a kind of Ball made from Socks and play with it barefooted and later on watch the older people football game and more interesting to watch was our Super Goalkeeper MAKUACH of Lakes State.

I was in Group 12 and I love one of our songs very much and that song stuck in my head till today and it goes like this in Dinka language: “Sadiq Mahdi dun bele yikyik ke thoc nhom, baai a wich wun, Garang Mabior yen chuk ngak nhom pienydan de Sudan”*2. 

In the Autumn of 1989, we went for military training in Markaz Panyido and graduated in 1990 but were still very young to go to the front lines. There were so many victories for the SPLA between that year 1989  and 1990. SPLA captured NASIIR, KURMUK, GESAN and many other Towns in Equatoria. Also, Sadiq El Mahdi was overthrown in a military coup in 1989 which raised our morale as SPLA.

But, just a few months after these victories, SPLA was faced with some setbacks especially the overthrow of SPLA friend Ethiopia’s President Mengistu Haile Mariam. In 1990, Mengistu’ problems hiked because he was not able to put down the rebellion and instead, he fled out of Ethiopia giving rise to a new regime in Ethiopia.

We the SPLA, who were friends of President Mengistu were displaced from Pinyidu to Pochalla too and we lost the military and logistical support we use to get in Ethiopia. 

I was amongst the last (JESH HAMER) SPLA soldiers who left Panyidu and Commander Salva Kiir Mayardit was with us the last group who left the area. The enemy chased us for days from Panyidu to GILO RIVER  where we stood our ground and helped Commander Salva Kiir Mayardit cross GILO RIVER while we remained behind at the other side River to fight off the enemies. 

Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit was driven in a  LAND CRUISER double Cabin which was WHITE and YELLOW. When he got to the other side of the River, the WOODEN CANOE was sunk to stop the enemies from using it to cross the River. 

The rest of us who remained behind followed the river to the East where we used a narrow part of the River to cross by tying a ROB on both ends of the River. It was narrow but the water flow and current were terrible and in the process of crossing the River, we lost some people who were swept away by the speedy flow and current. The enemy was also bombarding us by Air.

In 1991, we were now in Pinychalla/Pochalla and boomed, RIEK MACHAR and other SPLA Officers announced their so-called COUP or REBELLION in NASIR TOWN against Dr. John. This news of Riek Machar rebellion did not go down well. It challenged and changed many things from the then UNITED MIGHTY SPLA/SPLM, the South Sudan TRIBES, the NUBA, and the BLUE NILE Region.

In anticipation of Pochalla attacks by the Khartoum regime supported by the New Regime in Ethiopia, JESH HAMER in Markaz Pochalla were evacuated to JEBEL BUMA and the process of evacuation was done when I was not in Town. I and my paternal uncle JAL GATLUAK NYAK went hunting Gazelles in the Bushes of Pochalla.

Very quickly, TRIBALISM kicked in and took over the movement very badly especially when the WHITE ARMY who were predominantly NUER attacked MADING BOR. We the (Jesh Hamer) and (JESH ASUOD) who were NUER by tribe started to witness and face INSULTS, ATTACKS and MURDERS, and other HUMILIATIONS.

We tried to put a brave NATIONALISM face to fight off tribalism but the more we stayed, the more disappearances, insults, humiliation we endured because of Riek Machar rebellion in Nasir. In the same period, Pochalla was attacked by ANYUAK armed militia which we defeated but the second attack was by Khartoum Regime with support from the New Regime of Ethiopia.

There, we lost Pochalla as SPLA in the evening around 5 or 6 pm and all the residents of the town were now roaming the bushes outside the town. We the Nuer soldiers and civilians who already have serious problems of tribal targeting were in a dilemma of where to go.

We had three choices of: (1) continue the journey to MADING BOR which we fear due to the targeting we already faced in Pochalla, or (2)  Go to JEBEL BUMA which we hesitated to agree to due to the same fears, and (3)  The last option was AKOBO TOWN which is a NUER Town and was bordering Pochalla.

With no choice from the peaking and rampant tribalism against us who were amongst the majority DINKA SOLDIERS, we have to leave. Unbelievably, the then UNITED PEOPLE of MIGHTY SPLA  disintegrated and dispersed to separate ways because of Riek Machar rebellion. The WHITE ARMY attack of Bor and killing of civilians led to more murders of NUER soldiers and civilians in Equatoria, Bor, and Barelgazal.

For Two Weeks, we walked to Akobo where I made up my mind to quit the military altogether. In Nasir, where Riek Machar announced his rebellion, there was a Refugee Camp set up by the UNHCR for the people who returned from ITANG. I went there and stayed there for a few months.

Nasir was under blockade from the SPLA Torit Faction as they called it that time on one hand and flights ban from the Khartoum regime in another. UNHCR could not bring us food for Six Months and hunger was the master of the Camp. But on December 1992, UNHCR came to us the (JESH HAMER) with the good news that the Organization will transport us to our respective villages where we came from.

In December 1992, UNHCR truly transported us from Nasiir to Leer where I boarded a Canoe to my Village of NYAL NYUONG. I bowed not to be used to fight my COMRADES and Brothers the DINKA or the NUER but instead, I decided to travel to KHARTOUM for my education. I went to Khartoum and started my Primary Education in Primary 3 in 1993. 

I lived and studied in Khartoum for almost Six Years where suddenly the same RIEK MACHAR came to Khartoum and started making our lives miserable again. As he (Riek Machar) joined the Khartoum Regime of OMER ELBASHIR  in 1997, he was given green light by his new boss to forcefully abduct and recruit South Sudanese young men in Khartoum especially the NUER into his militia.

The reason was to take them to JUBA and other EQUATORIA Towns to fight the SPLA under Dr. John Garang. In 1998, Riek Machar started the forceful abduction and a mob of militia came to our area of (MUSTISHFA HAWADIS) in Khartoum Center. They started kicking, punching, and slapping me and some other boys and ordered us to get into a PICKUP LAND CRUISER.

They drove to Riek Machar residence near the Bank of the NILE and locked us inside the Rooms. Shortly, they brought some more people majority of them were NUER. To us, it was like a joke and we thought it was going to be solved in a matter of hours. We didn’t know the seriousness of the matter because if we knew, it was going to be better to die in Khartoum than being killed fighting for ARABS in SOUTH SUDAN.

 At midnight, they came into the rooms and picked us one by one from the rooms and threw us inside a long truck, and made us sit on the truck’ floor in the middle of armed men. They drove us to Khartoum Airport where they loaded us into a huge PLANE the one they use for transporting goods and a few hours later, we already were in Juba. 

We the School CANDIDATES couldn’t believe what has just happened. Some of us were sitting for Sudan Secondary Certificate and others including myself were getting ready to sit for PRIMARY 8 CERTIFICATE. Suddenly, our dreams were shattered in a matter of hours.

In Juba, early in the morning, clueless, outraged, shocked, and hopeless, we were loaded into trucks and transported to a place called MAPAW East of Juba. It was a military training camp and we were taken there for another training. We were briefly trained for a few months there. I so many times sneaked to Juba Town especially the Airport in an attempt to go back to Khartoum but all in vain. Finding a plane to Khartoum was the most difficult thing ever then in Juba.

Suddenly, they told us that we are done with the training and it was time to be taken to the front lines. Without guns, they transported us to TEREKEKA where they gave us guns and transported us further to villages called AGANY and KALTHOK in the border of Mundari and Aweirial. There, upon arrival, they made us camped in front to shield the ARAB SOLDIERS from attacks by the SPLA.

Outraged, angry, disappointed because of loss of our education, and the fact that we were taken there to guard and protect the Arabs, the fact that we were not even given military uniforms to dress like soldiers, the fact that the Arab soldiers have plenty of food and we were going hungry and only surviving on their leftovers and so many unbelievable things gave us the students the courage to commit suicide by planning to destroy the camp or else they must let us go.

19 of us who were mostly students declared desertion at broad daylight and told those who want to remain behind to not shoot at us or else WE WERE READY FOR HELL. They saw it from our eyes and it was REAL, they stood down and allowed us to go. We footed from TEREKEKA to AWEIRIAL to BENTIU for 12 Days. There, I laid down my GUN for the second time and started my long journey back to Khartoum to continue with my education. I refused to be used to fight my brothers again!

I went and sat for my Primary Certificate in 1999 and joined St. AUGUSTINE SECONDARY SCHOOL and sat for my SECONDARY Certificate in 2003. I came back to my village of NYAL NYUONG and went to Uganda in 2004 thru some friends in the CATHOLIC CHURCH (Comboni Missionaries) who promised me some financial support concerning the Tuition fees.

 I joined NKUMBA UNIVERSITY in 2004 and studied INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND DIPLOMACY. I studied for ONE and HALF YEARS and later lost financial support from the Missionaries in 2006. I requested DEAD YEAR permission from the University which was granted.

I headed back to South Sudan in the hope of finding some financial support to help me go back to the UNIVERSITY but it was not that easy then I opted to find a job. I briefly worked in Juba with the South Sudan Justice Chamber and then went to Bentiu and worked as Secondary School Teacher between 2007 to 2009 and also got married there. I came back to Juba in 2010 and worked for EQUITY BANK SOUTH SUDAN from 2010 to 2012.

In 2010, I took a loan of 7,000 Pounds from the Bank and bought a GRASS THATCHED HOUSE in MUNUKI -GUDELE intersection near GUDELE BUABA and very close to the current SOUTH SUDAN CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY CAMPUS from the ARAB SOLDIERS who were leaving JUBA in anticipation of SOUTH SUDAN INDEPENDENCE. 

The area was not demarcated till MAY 2013 when the Authorities started to open the roads. The Chief of our area informed us that we must contribute money for the opening of the road which we happily agreed to do and the roads were opened in JUNE 2013. In the same year in the month of August, our Chief informed us that now since the demarcation is over, it was time for the plots papers processes to start and we should get ready to pay the money to get our papers. We happily Complied too but the challenge was that it was huge money that needs time to get.

To the DISMAY and HORROR of all, the same Riek Machar started fighting President Kiir on 15 Dec. 2013. Again, just like 1991, tribalism kicked in and tribal targeting ensued. I and my family by the GRACE OF GOD escaped to UNMISS on the 16 Dec. 2013 leaving behind our HOUSE with ALL our BELONGINGS, AND OUR SHOP. 

While in UNMISS, one of our neighbors called me and informed me that my HOUSE and BUSINESS has been looted by one of our neighbors. He is an SPLA Officer with the TIGER DIVISION. I left UNMISS in 2014 to go and continue with my UNIVERSITY STUDIES. The same person who looted my house and shop again started to dismantle my humble house, took every piece of wood and Zinc, and started to BUILD HIS HOUSE IN MY PLOT.

From 2013 to date, I am speechless, dismayed by the level of cruelty, unreasonable thinking, and do not know what to say or do to RIEK MACHAR and THAT SPLA OFFICER who looted all my properties dismantled my house and raised his house on my land. These two people showed me what cruelty really means. I suffered a great deal in their hands.

Now, I and my family have lost our livelihood and are languishing in extreme poverty with no proper education for the kids while RIEK MACHAR and HIS FAMILY and that SPLA OFFICER who put us in this miserable situation are enjoying life in LONDON AND JUBA enjoying the GOVERNMENT MONEY, services, and protection. THAT IS EXTREME INJUSTICE TO US!!!

Do you think I am scared? Oh yes, I am! My experience in the long journey of struggle helped me to know what DINKA and NUER are capable of doing. They easily forget about your heroic SACRIFICES and CONTRIBUTIONS and kill you because of the tribe you were born from. I know that because I am SPLA!!!

Questions to our leaders and citizens: (1) After reading my whole life story, did I do anything wrong to SPLA, or to DINKA or to NUER to deserve such suffering? (2) I suffered four times by problems caused by RIEK MACHAR in (1991, 1998, 2013, and 2016). Don’t I deserve to take RIEK MACHAR to COURT and be Compensated for the losses I incurred? (3) Does anyone Dinka or Nuer or any other tribe deserves to rob my properties? (4) Don’t I deserve to have my house and all my properties back from that soldier who looted everything from me?

My dear Commander in Chief, Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit, fight off tribalism because it is the only way we can move our country forward! Oh God bless South Sudan!!!

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