JOHN GARANG

Mr. Garang was arguing for his right on tabel manner! May 16,1983 was the time when the people of South Sudan redefined their socio-political & cultural destiny and in this day, it is worth mentioning that some comrades labored hard enough by sacrificing their payments, lives and many more to liberate the people of the Sudan in general and South Sudan in particular. With this event, to me only one thing comes to mind, the legacy of our departed leaders and their foot/fingerprints on the life and history of our struggle. All our great comrades and leaders have each left a foot or fingerprint on our life to admire but in this note, I will use the seven founding members of our liberation struggle as a sample to all comrades. In their sequence of the leadership order, I would like to outline their impacts on the system one after other: 1. Lt.Gen.Dr. John Garang De Mabior (Late Chairman and C-in-C SPLM/A & Chairman of the Politico- Military High Command of the movement) Garang Mabior is one of the charismatic leader that the South Sudan and/or Sudan in general ever had in history, he came up as a young officer in Anyanya I and got absorbed to the Sudanese Armed Forces with the rank of Captain, he left some impacts on the Sudanese Armed Forces such as Military Foundation-a transport company for the forces. In May, Dr.Garang rebelled in Bor; his hometown along side with comrades from the Southern Battalion 104/105 that was commanded by the then Lt. Col. Kerubino Kuanyin; this moved formed the core of the Movement (now) Party SPLM. Some of his foot and fingerprints to the struggle is the formulation of the New Sudan vision that was found difficult to comprehend by his fellow Southerners, this vision is latter adopted by most political forces in the country as the new basis and definition for the unity of the country. In one word Dr. Garang left us a formidable vision as Southerners and as Sudanese at large. (Sudan will never be the same and for the SPM/A to transform Sudan, it must get transformed first) This is a quote from his briefing speech in Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi.May 31st 2005 after the signing of the six protocols of peace in Naivasha. 2. Gen.Kerubino Kuanyin Bol (Former Vice Chairman and Deputy C-in-C SPLM/A & Permanent member of the Politico-Military High Command of the Movement) This caliber of the Sudanese Armed Forces officer is the first champion of the Bor mutiny that led to the birth of our movement -SPLM; He served as the movement’s Vice Chairman and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of its Army wing from July 1983-1988 when he was arrested for attempting to overthrow the Chairman of the movement. Gen.Kerubino is known for his Morale and determination and left this touch on the Jiech El-Shabi (People’s Army) the nickname usually used by SPLA soldiers to refer to themselves. 3.CDR.William Nyuon Bany (Late Chief of Staff of SPLA & Permanent member of the Politico-Military High Command of the Movement) This is the second champion of the mutiny of the Southern Forces in 1983; he deceived the enemy in Malakal to let him go and fight Lt.Col. Kerubino who just rebel in Bor a month early just to join the rebels and executed all the loyal soldiers to the government in Ayod. William was known for bravery and military professionalism and as a result during the factional fighting within the SPLM/A every faction would like to win his support. In his nearly last days William Nyuon lured Sudanese Colonel and his team of officers to Lafon where he has his base, captured them and switches side to SPLA. It is with this cunning talent that the Sudanese developed a curriculum in his name taught in military college-it is called William Nyuon’s theory. Nyuon (Kuenyang) his Bull name left this fingerprint of bravery and professionalism on the SPLA record of history. 4.Brig.Gen.Arok Thon Arok (SPLA Deputy Chief of Staff for Political Mobilization & Permanent member of the Politico-Military High Command, Spokesman) Arok Thon Arok was a shining star in the sky of SPLM/A for many talents some of which are intellectuals and others militarily and many more. It is worth mentioning that he left a great finger or footprint on the administrative machinery of the SPLA with special emphasis on the organizational leadership. This man was my personal icon in term of leadership qualities he demonstrated. 5. Mr. Majier Gai (SPLM Secretary for Legal Affairs) Although Majier spent most of his time in jail, he managed to leave remarkable footprint in the SPLM/A by putting in a legal touch when he developed the SPLM/A manifesto that was the legal framework of the movement until 1990s 6. Mr.Josepg Uduho (SPLM Secretary for Political Affairs) Joseph was one of the veteran fighters of the Anyanya I who managed to join hands with the younger generations for continuation of the struggle. It is worth mentioning that he was known for his courage and determination which he left as footprint in our liberation struggle. This is what I can add as an appreciation to these extraordinary comrades who set our foundation or who gave up their tomorrow for our today, they deserved to be honoured as the laboured for it. I asked every one of Sudanese from all walk of lives to give these leaders a room in their hearts, as they deserve that with all sincerity Former Sudan rebel leader becomes first vice president KHARTOUM, July 9 Former rebel leader John Garang was sworn in as Sudan's first vice president Saturday as a new power-sharing constitution came into force in a bid to put a final seal on two decades of civil war. Garang will also head an autonomous administration due to run the mainly Christian and animist south for a six-year interim period leading up to a promised referendum on independence. "I, John Garang Demabior, swear by almighty God that as the first vice president of the Republic of the Sudan, I shall be faithful and bear true allegiance to the Republic of the Sudan," he pledged at an inauguration ceremony attended by a host of foreign dignitaries. For the first time, posters of Garang were put up at the venue of the event at the republican palace in Khartoum where young men, women and children dressed in colorful costumes sang and danced in celebration. His inauguration came after President Omar al-Beshir formally promulgated the new constitution, bringing to an end the state of emergency that has been in force on and off since he seized power in a 1989 coup and banned all political parties. Former foes Beshir and Garang shook hands and embraced each other. UN chief Kofi Annan hailed "a day of great hope for the Sudanese people, who have suffered so long." The civil war, which was Africa's longest-running, left an estimated two million people dead and more than four million displaced before the signing of a landmark peace deal in Nairobi in January. Annan also expressed concern about the potentially destabilizing effects of continued ethnic minority uprisings in Sudan's western Darfur region, and Kassala and Red Sea states in the east. "The peace process between north and south must be made irreversible, which it will not be unless it takes root in the east and in the west as well," Annan said. Both Garang and Beshir echoed his comments and vowed to work to restore security nationwide. Peace will not be complete "as long as there is war in Darfur and eastern Sudan," Garang said, pledging to work with Beshir to end the two conflicts "in the shortest time possible."The president promised to "deploy maximum efforts to put the peace accord to good use and install stability in Darfur.""Also in east, we will exert efforts with all opposition forces to reach stability and promote development," Beshir said. The government and the Darfur rebels signed a 17-point framework agreement in Nigeria's capital on Tuesday but further rounds of talks will be necessary for a political settlement of the more than two-year-old conflict which has left as many as 300,000 people dead and 2.5 million more homeless. Talks have yet to get under way in eastern Sudan where rebels from the Beja minority have been fighting the government since 1994 and control a strip of territory on the Eritrean border. Arab League chief Amr Mussa, US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick and several regional heads of state, including the presidents of Kenya, Uganda, the Central African Republic, Djibouti, South Africa and Senegal also attended the inauguration. The UN chief later joined Beshir, Second Vice President Osman Ali Taha and Garang, as they danced hand in hand with children to Sudanese music celebrating the event. The Khartoum government's Eritrean archfoe, President Isaias Afeworki, a key ally of Garang, did not attend but sent a message of congratulations. Isaias expressed "pleasure for the people of Sudan for the implementation of the comprehensive peace agreement" and hope that they would find "strong founded comprehensive political solutions to all the unsolved issues in the Sudan." Annan later urged donor nations at a press conference to make good on their pledges to assist Sudan. "It is extremely important that now that the Sudanese have come this far that the international community also honors the commitment that it has made to them in terms of recovery reconstruction as well as humanitarian assistance," he said. Donors pledged nearly 600 million dollars in hard cash last April in support of south Sudan's reconstruction, but not all has been committed let alone disbursed. Southern Sudan needs billions of dollars to rebuild its infrastructure after 21 years of war and has to grapple with the return of tens of thousands of refugees, poor harvests and the looming threat of famine.