Why We Should Celebrate Liberation-War Icons Like Gen. Pieng Deng-Majhong Kuol Arop Biong
By Mawut Mabior Chol, Brisbane, Australia
Tuesday, 01 September 2026 (PW) — Gen. Pieng Deng-Majhong Kuol Arop Biong was the man who saved the lives of many members of the Red Army in Panyido. Pieng was assigned as the leader of the refugee camp in Panyido during a very difficult time.
The Red Army members were still coming to terms with being away from their parents, sleeping rough, surviving on meagre food rations, forced labour and contagious diseases, among others.
Some of the teachers were very corrupt in handling the food. Most of the nutritious food items were taken by the teachers. If the Red Army members were to eat wheat flour, it was only when it was in surplus. Biscuits, tinned meat and chicken were exclusively for the teachers.
Pieng must have suspected the falsehood of the reports he was receiving about the meals given to members of the Red Army. To verify the reports, he would put on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt at dinnertime as a camouflage strategy and jostle for food in the dark with the Red Army. His objective was to taste what the Red Army was eating.
Within a very short time, the nutritional value, quality and quantity of the food increased. Members of the Red Army started praising Pieng in their morale-boosting songs. The Red Army fraternity respects Pieng Deng not because of his military or familial lineage, but because of his humane nature, approachable character and calm demeanour. This was in the late 1980s.
After that, he was replaced by Jurkuch Barach, who was another brilliant leader. However, time did not put Jurkuch on par with Pieng. Jurkuch came after the most difficult time had passed. Difficult times are remembered more than good times.
In the early 1990s, we were called for national service, and we met Gen. Pieng around Juba. Among all his involvements on the battlefield, one stuck with me.
I still vividly remember when he sneaked behind the enemy in Bilnya, Bilnyang, as the Dinka pronounce it, and took a vantage point on one of Bilnya’s hills. He took responsibility for guiding our artillery units on the targets to hit. We were in an ambush near Bilnya. This hit the enemy hard and, in desperation, the enemy attacked us that evening.
We pushed their forces back to Bilnya. We were attacked again the following morning, and the fight took the whole day, from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with Pieng still on the hill, desperately doing what he could to direct the artillery units towards enemy targets. Unfortunately, that evening, Ngalngala fell to the enemy, and that cut off our supply line.
We were ordered to evacuate the ambush at 2:00 a.m. Pieng left his position last. We were very worried about his safety, as the enemy in Bilnya, between us and Pieng, knew we had left and were moving towards Mogiri, while Pieng was stealthily following the enemy. He met us days later in Farakathika, between Ngalngala and Liriya.
After I sustained a gunshot wound, I left for treatment, leaving Gen. Pieng and others fighting for the SPLM/A.
He was later involved in the June 1992 attack on Juba. He was reportedly tasked with capturing the bridge, coming with a force from the western side of Juba. Those who know Juba can imagine how difficult this task was. He pushed through the enemy to capture the area.
However, he had to evacuate during the day, as every other commander had failed to capture their assigned area. They had to shoot their way to freedom.
We still remember who did what during the war. I do not campaign for those who fought the war to be given exclusive privileges; rather, they should be respected and, if possible, recognised for what they did.
Among the Dinka, if you are lucky enough to kill a big animal while hunting, you do not consume it by yourself; it is shared with humanity. I mean the whole human race partakes in the feast, and some animals do too. Where did we import the race that does not share?
Before you murder him, please read this piece. South Sudan has turned independence war heroes and heroines into jobless beggars and betrayers into peacetime heroes. God save South Sudan.
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