40 Days Later: Remembering Amb. Gen. Bior-Asuot Ajang Duot Bior-Kweigak Agwer Bior-Tongkheer

By Deng Duot D’Ajur, Brisbane, Australia

Friday, 27 September 2024 (PW) — On the morning of Wednesday 14 August 2024, I found a missed call from Deng Duot-thith Bior. When I returned his call at 5:59 A.M., he delivered devastating news: “I have bad news for you, and I want you to be strong. General Bior-Col has fallen.” Shocked, I asked which hospital he was taken to. Deng replied, “We just came home from the funeral home.” Our conversation lasted barely two minutes before I ended the call, my heart shattered beyond belief.

The loss of General Bior-Asuot Ajang Duot, popularly known as Bior-Chol within the family, hit me harder than when Akol Athian and Ajangthuc Bior Duot returned without my father in 1995. Battling psychological and emotional distress, I reached out to Uncle Kuir Garangthii and Manyok Monychol Lueth. We shouldered the solemn duty of informing our relatives and community elders before social media could spread the news.

General Bior Ajang profoundly impacted my life since 1995, leaving an indelible mark. My father, like many of his generation, had joined the Sudan People’s Liberation Army and Movement (SPLA/M). Duot Deng Jok trained at Bonga Camp, graduating in 1984 to join the Agrab battalion with a Soviet-made PK machine gun.

Growing up during the SPLA-led revolution, I frequently heard names whose significance in our history I didn’t yet grasp. I recall Captain Lual Deng Thon, Captain Bul Bior Aguer, Mayom Mamour Duot, and Duot Deng Jok gathering under trees, discussing Dr. John Garang de Mabior, Cde Kerubino Bol, Cde William Nyuon, Cde Salva Kiir, and Cde Arok Thon Arok. Later, I understood these were members of the SPLA/M’s Permanent High Military and Political Command (PHMC), key architects of the war effort.

In lieu of modern computer games, my childhood play involved wargames using bullet shells as military pieces. We children would assign roles of commanding officers to figures like General Bior, General Biar Atem Ajang, Chol Gai Arop, George Athor Deng Dut, and William Deng Garang Beny in our mock battles.

By 1993 and 1994, General Bior Ajang had become a prominent figure, known for defending civilians affected by the 1991 SPLA split. He made a pivotal decision when SPLA-mainstream cattle were entrusted to my late father. A substantial herd was kept at our home, belonging to the SPLA under Bior Ajang Duot’s command.

In 1995, my father fell in battle during the Ayod operation, defending Panyagor as a command post headquarters. General Bior made another significant gesture, rewarding my father posthumously with one heifer. This act of kindness, beyond our shared family ties as members of Bior-kueigaak, left a lasting impression.

General Bior departed for a new assignment in late 1997. The heifer he gifted us became instrumental in our extended family’s affairs, later contributing to a marriage arrangement as per Dinka tradition. As I left our village to pursue education in Equatoria, General Bior and I lost touch until 2018. Following Dinka custom, my mother named the cow “gum-baar,” signifying its role in sustaining us after my father’s passing.

In 2018, contemplating joining the South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF), I sought General Bior’s counsel. Our phone conversation led to a meeting at his Juba residence, where we engaged in a profound, hour-long discussion about my aspirations and the importance of military service. His insights proved deeply inspirational, shaping my perspective on following in the footsteps of his generation.

August 2019 brought me back to South Sudan, coinciding with the loss of Eng. Bior-Maror Ajang Duot. General Bior’s home was filled with mourners awaiting the arrival of the engineer’s body from England. Our interaction was brief due to my tight schedule, which included visits to my mother in Uganda and mother-in-law in Kenya.

That evening, while driving Uncle Yaak Dut Yaak home from General Bior’s residence, I was regaled with stories of my great-grandfather Jok Ajur. Uncle Yaak described Jokdit as a fearless warrior who earned the friendship and respect of Duot Bior-kweigak, though that’s a tale for another time.

My third visit to South Sudan in 2021, intended for cadet training at Dr. John Military College, was extended to nine months due to logistical issues. This period allowed for frequent visits to General Bior’s residence, deepening our connection and revealing his dedication to his people and country. Alongside Major-General Bior-matoto Kuir Deng, he introduced me to various defense and government officials.

On April 9, 2021, we visited General Thomas Douth Guet, then Director-General of the General Intelligence Bureau (GIB). The respect accorded to General Bior was evident in the soldiers’ salutes and our immediate access. Unfortunately, political changes the next day affected our plans, but General Bior’s influence and respect remained clear.

In May 2021, we met with the new spy chief, General Simon Yien Makuach. General Bior’s prestige was again apparent, and General Simon promised upcoming training opportunities with French and Italian security agencies. This experience showcased General Bior’s commitment to helping me achieve my defense aspirations.

Our day concluded with a visit to Captain Garang Wal Mayen Ayii, hospitalized from an accidental gunshot. The captain’s joy at seeing General Bior highlighted the general’s enduring connection to the soldiers he once led, even out of government.

On July 29, 2021, while en route to Sultan Deng Ajang Ajak’s funeral, General Bior and I discussed the flooding of the Nile basin and its impact on Twic East County. His concern for flood mitigation demonstrated his ongoing commitment to his homeland’s welfare. At the funeral, General Bior’s speech honored the late sultan’s contributions to the war effort of 1993 and beyond.

General Bior’s dedication extended to practical efforts against flooding. He personally transported sandbags to Twic East headquarters and Panyagor, showcasing his hands-on approach to community challenges. As Chairman of the Twic East Community, he strived to foster honest public discourse about the region’s needs.

Reflecting on the 40 days since his passing, I’m struck by a sense of unreality. Despite death’s inevitability, part of me expects to find him still sitting under the tree, ready for conversation, should I return to South Sudan.

Throughout our interactions, I observed General Bior’s consistent positivity and avoidance of controversial topics. He regularly congratulated newly appointed defense officials and advocated for veterans’ welfare. His suggestion to study the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam’s impact on regional relations exemplified his forward-thinking approach to national security.

General Bior Ajang stood as a voice of reason amidst political and military tensions, advocating for the protection of citizens over displays of military might. His integrity and focus on public welfare set him apart in a world often dominated by self-interest.

His influence extended to social reforms, such as advocating for marriage without cattle dowries in the 1990s, a decision that shaped the current generation in Bor South, Twic East, and Duk counties. He also worked with humanitarian agencies to support displaced families and children in need.

My last conversation with General Bior on July 13, 2024, centered on his hopes to visit Australia, despite previous visa rejections possibly influenced by political interference. His optimism in the face of these challenges was characteristic of his resilient spirit.

General Bior Ajang Duot’s legacy touches countless South Sudanese lives, both through personal interactions and his broader influence. As a pivotal figure in our nation’s history, his contributions will undoubtedly be chronicled in future books honoring his service. May General Bior Ajang Duot rest in peace, his memory an enduring inspiration to us all.

Deng Duot Deng D’Ajur is a concerned South Sudanese Australian who can be reached via his email: Deng Duot <dengduotdeng@gmail.com>

Tribute to the Late Lt. Gen. Amb. Bior Ajang Duot (Bior-Asuod): A Rare Breed of a Leader

By Peter Deng Bior Agwek, Juba, South Sudan

Late Lt Gen Amb. Bior Ajang Duot (Bior-asuod) was a rare breed of a leader, who befriend all South Sudanese including a young child (menh kondook). On top of his priority was the liberation of South Sudan and achievement of the freedom of its people. It is a typical mission of a man whose intention is to let his people live in liberty! 

In his liberation days he never absconded any mission assigned to him by his Commander and Leader Dr. John Garang, due to sickness. Even the toughest missions handed to him would be executed in later and spirit. Bior would only come back with a success report to his Boss. He was one of the dictionaries of the movement and the liberation struggle.   

At the time of the signing of the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) and before the crush of Dr. John Garang Asuod was commissioned with four of his colleagues in the high command to organize for integration of SPLA forces to the unified armed forces of the Sudan. This was based on the trust John Garang bestowed on him. He knew him as confident, secretive and committed officer among his top officers. Commander Bior never sways from his targets.

One reference to how Bior’s strong leadership in the army and for his people manifested was when he left for the bush at a time when he was a head teacher of Kongor primary. He left with his pupils and teachers toward Lou Nuer area in Jonglei state. When an order came for the top commander to be airlifted from Tiergol,  he refused  and opted to lead his troops on foot to Itang the destination in Ethiopia, against the will of the movement leader John Garang de Mabior. His care and leadership have a rooting to the family where he was brought up as the son of a paramount chief Ajang Duot of Pande Bior Ajang in Kongor Community.

In the lane of history, Cdr Bior-Asuod was sent on a mission to Jonglei state in 1993, unfortunately his convoy broke down at tingili desert. He instantly reached out to inform Dr John Garang about the incident and notify him of the thirst that befell his forces. In his response, John Garang told him that water will come shortly and at a blink of an eye, a dark cloud formed above them and rained without further delay and the forces quenched their thirst. It is insinuated that the two had been bounded in secrets by God. God is their witness! I also witnessed events as they unfolded.

In the same area, while asleep on the bonnet of a Hino truck packed under a big tree, I was nearly swallowed by a python. Fortunately, Asuod who had laid to relax on the grass on the side of the truck, rescued me by shooting the descending giant snake after a noise alert from the soldier on duty. He saved my life!

While at the desert, Gen Kuol Manyang Jook was ordered by C-in-C Dr. John Garang to deliver spare parts for the Hino and proceed with late Lt Gen Bior-Asuod along with other commanders of the liberation struggle to disperse militias around Bor in Jonglei state to pave way for a possible capture of the town. The mission was accomplished but he reached out to the militia leaders for a peaceful settlement so as to lead one agenda for the freedom of the south Sudanese. Late Bior-Asuod did his work to perfection and died a happy man. He was a man of Peace and Unity!  

Upon his relieve from the Docket of the Ministry of Defense and Veteran affairs as an Undersecretary for Defense, he opted to sit under a big tree at his residence in Amarat estate where he supported his community in addressing communal issues. One of the days, he was visited by his comrade Gen. Deng-amocharep Kuirot Deng. With a light moment in reflection of the good days, Gen Deng persuaded Bior to get themselves pet dogs and name them. Pet dogs naming in Dinka is an expression of an inner feeling about the events around the society. Bior-col challenged his comrade to name his so he brought a leave. Amocharep named his pet “Piny cak bany ke” literally meaning the earth is creating its new leaders. Bior-col at that point told him that his pet would be called (tit baai) referring to a group of elders who escorted the red army to Ethiopia in 1986-1987. Later they got trained through the order of Dr John Garang so as to go back home and cultivate, protect cows as a reserve food for the soldiers of the liberation and to protect homeland. This was their contributions at their age as the youth fight for freedom from the oppressor. A very noble commitment!  

In another show of leadership and generosity, when I got sick in 2012, Gen Bior-Asuod upon learning my unwellness, in a rush booked air ticket for me to be taken to Uganda for treatment. I was hospitalized for 14 days. His support was supplemented by My Minister of Education, science and technology Dr. John Gai Yoah, Mabor Tur Deng, John Ajak Maguang and Diing Bul Atem. I got well and credit goes to him and the responsible gentlemen. Again, he saved my life!

All these would be meaningless if his last responsibility on earth is not mentioned. Bior-Asuod was the chairman of the council at St. Emmanuel Parish in Juba, episcopal church of South Sudan of the Anglican Communion. This is yet another testimony of how Christ chose him to preach his word and deliver his people from the bondage of evil and earthly oppression. This resembles the liberation struggle he participated in with his comrades. He died while serving the people of God. Bior died pure!

There are many testimonies that can be told about the leadership, courage, care and the generosity of the late Lt Gen Amb Bior-Asuod Ajang Duot. I cannot exhaust on my own but many South Sudanese and Sudanese who crossed path with him will tell. It could be seen during his death that he was truly a man of the people, leader, caring parent and a symbol of liberation and unity. He was indeed a friend of the South Sudanese. As South Sudanese what have we leant in the death of late Gen Bior-Asuod. To me Bior-Asuod has left us Unity and friendship.  The challenge remains with you, what have you learnt in his death?

In conclusion, I echo to Cdr Yassir Arman, Malik Agaar, Abdelaziz Alhilu, while Gen Bior-Asuod has breathed his last air as a man who had been delegated by our late chairman Dr John Garang de Mabior to work closely with you on the liberation issues, please execute the mission and the vision they both left with you for your people.

To our president Gen Salva Kiir Mayardit, thank you for standing with your comrade Gen Bior Ajang Duot and his family on his last days in death. I quote your message to the mourners at the residence of Lt Gen Bior “if the big tree has fallen people must be very strong and support the family of Decease” This was your condolence message on the fateful day to the grievers and the family. Should he resurrect today, he will still remain steadfast and loyal to the government and the mission both of you sacrificed your lives for. Like you never betrayed John Garang, Bior never betrays. Long live Lt. Gen Bior-Asuod (Omega one-five)! (Omega 15) Long live South Sudan! Aluta Continua!

GEN. BIOR AJANG DUOT: THE COMMANDER OF THE PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE.

By Makneth Achiek

There are incidents in life that strike at the center of our being, confronting us with unforeseen pain and sorrow for which we were entirely unbraced. The passing of Gen. Bior Ajang Duot was one of such incidents. His death, when it came 45 days ago, was something we least expected, it descended in one of its unforeseeable guises, and had since remained a painful blow that has befallen South Sudan and its memory of Liberation Struggle.

Even if we understand that our lives here on earth are borrowed, bound to be returned to the creator. It never occurred to many of us that heart-attack would be the natural consequence of a noble life we had known as Bior-Aswad. No doubt, his family and community members were almost razed to the bone of their resilience by his passing. It was so abrupt that it denied his children the opportunity to benefit from the time that lies right beside the end of times. They would have felt the most overwhelming knowledge of his, and his love for them in the last moments if they had the chance to watch the life of their beloved father slouches toward dissolution.

The last 45 days had been dark for those who were nurtured by Gen. Bior! How does the world make sense again without their beloved father and leader in it? All the same, the great family of Ajang Duot must be commended for their resilience and wisdom throughout the mourning period. The people of South Sudan must be pleased with them for being strong and wise in a condition which normally make humans wretched. In one form or another, at one time or another, they have guided to the path of understanding those that were badly unmoored by Gen. Bior’s sudden death; the very family whose misfortune is being grieved are/were also the consoler of the grievers. We couldn’t be prouder of all of them!

Since the passing of “Bior Abot” (as he was known in my ancestral village), many things have been said. Several letters of eulogies have been shared. I personally wanted to write few things about him, but the right words kept eluding me. I have wondered and wondered what has taken away my capacity to choose words, and it took me many days to realized that what we feel inside in regard to his memory will always be infinitely vaster and more complex than what we can put to words, because words will always break under the weight of the immensities we task them with carrying, and will never fully describe who he was. There will always be richer and deeper dimensions of experience than those we mention in our surface impressions.

To many of us who grew up in SPLM/A liberated villages, “Bior-Aswad” was a popular name, it was contained in many songs and local tales of the time. Apparently, he earned his place in the collective psyche of the villagers because he was their source of light during the dark days. However, I got to know him intimately through Cpt. Mabior Garang de Mabior, a comrade and reliable associate of mine at National Conversation South Sudan (NCSS).

Gen. Bior visited NCSS mobile headquarters half a time later after the COVID19 pandemic had swept the globe with its tidal force of terror and uncertainty. He arrived one morning bearing the power of historical memories and many languages of solidarity and sympathy. He was very kind and humorous! His smile was always accompanied by a deep, warm chuckle; his jokes and turn of phrase did bear a tone that suggests how much he relished the memories of Liberation struggle.

Our aim at NCSS had been to use the principles of
Civil Authority for the New Sudan (CANS) to create a model for grassroots, post-conflict socio-economic growth in rural South Sudan. As a consequence, our organization’s literature largely mimics Dr. John Garang’s philosophy. Surprisingly we were condemned by some of our community elders who think that John Garang’s ideas belong to the past and can’t be regenerated; that pursuing them is a futile pursuit.

I personally received warnings from some elders who claim to care, urging me to stop reading books that were once read by Dr. Garang. I had since concluded that all the “big men” in our community have a latent ambition to censor Dr. Garang’s ideas; So, when Cpt.Mabior Garang informed me of Gen. Bior’s plan to visit, I was little bit worried the intention of his coming might carry an agenda that will derail us from our programs. But it turned out the contrary was true! My suspicion were proven wrong; he was everything we needed in an elder particularly the one that speaks our mother’s tongue. He did not only agree with what we were doing, but also reminded us that the only inheritance we have from our forefathers is the struggle.

Commander Bior-Aswad represented generation of parents that were trained to expect their children to aim higher and reach further than they themselves managed; that in the struggle, the parents’ point of arrival will be the children’s starting point – and a point with yet more roads stretching ahead, all leading upwards to the nation building. That visit of his presented me with the best way of explaining or interpreting the relationship between past and present, between what was and what is.

Though he had served in many capacities as a military officer, he was once a teacher. There remained in him and his mannerisms something of the schoolmaster. The long time in the SPLA did not rub out the pedagogue in him! He fashioned his behavior to what he perceived to be required by the objectives that have been set. His dedication and firmness of resolve will remain unmatchable. His personality was steeped in a passion for service and concern for the people; he was above all a servant of the people. Even if he had no active role in the current government, he was doing his best to crawl forward to bind up the wounds of his community, in his own way, and in his own understanding.

To be Bior-Aswad’s relative or kinfolk is a profound responsibility, it entails those who share in his legacy not to allow bad stories to seep into his memory. He was a man with no enemies! He was not a quarrelsome elder; we never saw him throwing insults or reacting to insults on Twitter, Facebook or in the WhatsApp groups. He was naturally forgiving, and I believe those who are trying to manufacture enemies in his name are acting on their own. He never tasked anybody with the responsibility of holding grudges he could not hold, or saying what he could not say.

There had been political rivalry among our elders in Juba, but it was not a thing that could be addressed directly, only alluded to. It was the gentle character of Commander Bior Ajang which enabled the rope of peaceful coexistence to stay unbroken in our political hands. The moment we choose to act contrary to his logic, Twic East community will enter a long period of misunderstanding that will be characterized by more questions than answers and more problems than solutions.

Those who claim to care about what his name represents should avoid doing anything which may not sit comfortably with his soft-spoken, calm and gentle spirit. No matter how hard things are, we should not dwell on hateful speculations; whatever misgiving attitudes some people might have had toward him, all of us are now grappling with just about the same core concerns; that his absence in the affairs of our community is the ugliest part of life that will continue to keep us feeling terrified, vulnerable and alone. It doesn’t matter whether we are being haunted or comforted by the nature of relationships we had with him when he was alive, all our bitterness and frustrations are a single question, the best answer to which is love -the understanding!

May Commander Bior Aswad’s love for peace and understanding continue to inspire us. May his legacy serve as a soulful invitation to all of us to get to work and redefine the world around us until our thoughts more closely match his ideals of unity and peaceful coexistence. May his good spirit be in all of us, wherever we go.
Adieu!

~Makneth Aciek
28/09/2024

A Loving Memoriam: Remembering a Blessed Life and the Legacy of a Noble Liberator, Amb. Gen. Bior-Aswad Ajang Duot, a Selfless People-Centred Public Service Messiah.

Eulogy by: Bior Duot-Gutghok Kongor, Juba, South Sudan

Yesterday, marked an official forty days, forty six days this Sunday since the untimely demise of our great iconic saviour, Gen.Amb. Bior Ajang Duot, an uncle, a father, a grandfather as well. A great and strategic leader of unmatched virtues. On the 13th of August, 2024, I received calls from relatives, at around 8pm to 9pm, trying to check on us, and asking whether I was at home or not. I told them that I am not in Juba. Some were asking contacts of the relatives that were present at uncle’s house at that particular time.

Upon cutting off the last phone call, I became so worried, with abnormal deep shock and scary feelings, thinking that something is not right at home despite the niggling low and heavy tones I heard from the callers. Promptly, I rang my little brother, and he informed me that uncle has just collapsed in his room, but has been taken to the hospital. The night was too long then. The next day, 14th Aug, very early in the morning I was informed by my elder cousin, that, uncle is no more. It was a terrible morning to absorb such a saddening demise in the wilderness; I was so shocked with disbelief, leaving a lot of questions in mind.

I was relieved when I saw the house full of mourners including President Salva Kiir Mayardit, Vice presidents, national ministers, SSPDF generals, Church leaders, Twic community, and general public gatherings in the house in massive numbers. I sincerely thank them all for supporting and consoling with heartily sympathies, and words of strengthening. Yesterday, we gathered together to remember and honor the life of our true leader in Medan Simba-Juba, South Sudan for the second time. Though uncle Bior may have been taken from us too soon, his spirit will forever live on in the memories he bravely and lovely shared.

I wholeheartedly thank Dr. Lujang John Jangaling Lujang John for the timely launching of an honoring Book, entitled “A Beacon of Hope, Love & Unity For South Sudanese”. He made yesterday’s remembrance more consolable. May Almighty God bless him more. Gen. Bior Ajang Duot has done a lot for the country South Sudan, for Jonglei, Twic East, and for the family. He has diligently served with all his heart, energy, and soul. His colleagues, national leaders and everyone whom he touched his/her life has shown, and said it all who Gen. Bior was during mourning days at the house, and during prayers at Medan Simba. He was indeed a steadfast veteran, and a true-hearted freedom fighter.

When he was relieved in 2015 as the first national Undersecretary in the Ministry of Defense and veterans affairs due to falsely allegations created by enemies of progress in order to get rid of his transparent and noble services in the military docket, he took the issue calmly. President Salva Kiir later investigated the matter and found out that Gen. Bior was innocent, and should be reinstated back, however, he was denied to be restored. Moreover, after his refusal, the President again reappointed him to a different ministry as the first grade ambassador in the Ministry of Foreign affair as the Undersecretary, however, he was denied for the second time, and the minister who was in charge reversed the decision and referred him as an ambassador to Sudan.

With all these betrayal, and denial, he has never talked ill, or backstabbed against his colleagues who betrayed him, or neither did he rebelled against the country. He stayed loyal, and chose to be humble and quiet in his house in Juba for solid nine (9) years till his shocking, unexpected and quietly demise. Indeed, he was an authentic loyal nationalist. An Iconic state Figure.

The October 2022 BMC declaration, and March 2024 Twic East unprecedented global conference (also well-framed as “Aci Twic Luel”), are the great historic events he has strategically well-concluded for the twic community since he took over Twic community leadership in 2020. The BMC declaration is not a divisive for the people who falsely misunderstood it, but a precise developmental decision. He listened to the will of the people and approved what his community wanted.

He has portrayed the true articulate of the “People Leader”. With trust in Twic values, I believe nothing will reverse the BMC concrete decision and the global conference action agendas. I am also optimistic that nothing will affect our normal coexistence with our neighboring and sisterly communities. I believe the incoming Chairman, Lt. Gen. Biar Mading Biar, and Twic community worldwide will carry on the missions, visions, and memories of the late visionary leader, Gen. Bior-Asuod. Indeed, he was a devoted community leader. A real Man of the people.

At a personal life-touching level, after the death of my lovely father, Late. Joseph Duot Kongor Duot (Duot-Gutghok) in July 2012, a Koryom battalion freedom fighter, a dearly veteran who also entirely fought together for 21 years of liberation struggles (May your precious soul continue to rest in Peace Dad). Uncle Gen.Bior took care of our family sufficiently. He was the one who in charge of my undergraduate schooling from 2014 till I completed successfully in 2018 with Bachelor Degree of Engineering, a complete course of my dream. A program he carried on from late Dr. William Kon Bior Duot, and late Eng. Bior Ajang Duot after completing a one year bridging Diploma module in 2013 in Nairobi Kenya.

Uncle Bior-Asuod has brightened and towered my path, thank you once again, lovely uncle. Indeed, he was a giant family shade tree, and a God-fearing Wise Icon . We will dearly miss him. In Sept, 2019, I got an IUCEA Masters scholarship funded by German development Bank to Tanzania, however, I was then decided not to go for the Master program straight before gaining some work experience, and look into some responsibilities.

On a certain Sunday, I woke up very early in the morning for Church service at Emmanuel Church-Juba as usual. As we entered his car heading to Church, without even greetings, he called gently, and asked, “Okocha, I heard that you got a scholarship, and you don’t want to go, why?” He heartily advised and directed me to go for further studies citing that, “I could have let you go for further studies if I could currently, and if God has brought this opportunity, please go, you will get what you want when you come back”, I was so touched internally. I then immediately booked and travelled the next week after. Indeed, he was a towering Role Model. I will dearly miss him.

On Wednesday 31st July, 2024, at around 7pm after a short rain, I came to the house directly to inform him that I am going to the site the next day as I usually do. I found him with visitors as normal. Immediately, after he was through with the visitors, I came to him straight, calling me with the usual gentle comforting voice, with a lovely smile, “Okocha”. I went closer and greeted him holding his right hand with both my two hands tightly and closely while standing and facing his right shoulder for the first time, and that was our last unforgettable talk with uncle, little did I know, I won’t find him when I am back from the site.

Your absence will really be felt dear lovely uncle. You have suddenly and unexpectedly fallen, but your roots have not fallen, your seeds will grow, and your legacies, and missions will live on. May Almighty God be with your trustworthy and noble Soul rest in Power, Love and Peace, uncle Gen. Bior Ajang Duot (uncle Bior-Asuod). Heroes Never Die. May Almighty God keep guiding, may your Spirit keep protecting us. Be forever with the Lord, dear Uncle Biordit. AMEN!

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