South Sudan: The Notable Firsts

By Kuyok Abol Kuyok

This is the first volume of the Biographical Dictionary of South Sudan, an ongoing research project begun in July 2001. As the subtitle of the book, the Notable Firsts, suggests, this volume is primarily concerned with historically significant South Sudanese personalities, deceased and contemporary alike, and their illustrious careers. Luminaries from all walks of life are featured, including politics, traditional leadership, civil service, academia, and sports.

This book has several main aims. Its primary aim is historical. It presents biographical profiles or accounts of the entrants and highlights the accomplishments and contributions of entrants in their respective fields of expertise or in the public sphere. But the aim of this study is not only to preset entrants biographies. It is mostly to place the entries in a broader historical perspective. The biographical dictionary, though concerned about personal accounts of entrants, it discusses pivotal events that shaped the history of South Sudan. The biographies are essentially linked to historical events that shaped or influenced the countrys trajectory throughout the period in question. Central to understanding the history of South Sudan is the biographical information of personalities who have taken part in major events or who have assumed important offices in the country.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Sep 4, 2015
• ISBN: 9781504943468

Kuyok Abol Kuyok

Kuyok Abol Kuyok was born in 1964 in Rumbek, Bahr el Ghazal. He studied at Rumbek Secondary School (1980–82) and received his BEd (Arts) from the University of Juba in April1988 and a Postgraduate Diploma in International Relations from the University of Khartoum in February 1991. He won a Foreign and Commonwealth (FCO) Fellowship to study for a master’s degree in education at the University of Hull in 1993. He also holds a master of research in education and social science and a doctorate from the Institute of Education, University of London. He taught geography in several secondary schools in Khartoum between 1988 and 1993. In the Great Britain, he served as a Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies in Education (IPSE), London Metropolitan University. Kuyok Abol Kuyok returned to South Sudan in October 2009 to join the Ministry of Higher Education as Director General for Universities. He was subsequently seconded to the Office of the President as the Head of the Technical Secretariat for the Southern Sudan 2011 Taskforce (SS2011TF). He teaches Sociology of Education and Comparative Education at the College of Education, University of Juba.

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© 2015 Kuyok Abol Kuyok. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 08/22/2015

ISBN: 978-1-5049-4344-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-4345-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-4346-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015908411

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Acknowledgements

List of Abbreviations

The Long Road to Independence: A Timeline of Milestones

Introduction

Chapter I: In the Beginning There Was Nyikang and Others

Chapter II:Early Traditional and Political Leadership

Chapter III: The Anya Nya Movement (1955–1972)

Chapter IV: The Southern Regional Government (1969–1983)

Chapter V: The SPLM/A Leadership and the First Government of the Republic of South Sudan (1983–2011)

Chapter VI: Women Pioneers

Chapter VII: Academia

Chapter VIII: Clergy

Chapter IX: In the Service of Their Nation

Conclusion

List of Interviewees

Selected Bibliography

‘Nuer and Dinka, even if you hate yourselves, there will come a time when you will recognise me as your father.’ – Prophet Ngundeng Bong

‘I am a man of reconciliation and peace as declared by God.’ – Prophet Ariathdit Bol Yel

In memory of

my sister and colleague,

1st Lt, SPLA, Suzana Anieb Marial Dot (1961–1991)

and

our mother, Alternate Commander, SPLA, Debora Ageer Gum (c. 1936–2001)

Map of the Republic of South Sudan

South%20Sudan%201.png

Map of the former Republic of Sudan, showing the borders of South Sudan

Sudan%20Map%203.jpg

Acknowledgements

This book has taken almost fourteen years to research and write. In the process, I received significant support from multiple sources, individuals as well as institutions. It would be impossible to name all of them here, but it would equally be inconsiderate for me if I did not mention some of the people and institutions that provided assistance to me in the course of preparing the book. I am particularly grateful for the support I received from staff of several libraries during the research for this book. I must mention especially the staff at the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS); the British Library, London; the Institute of Education, University of London, Sudan Section; the University of Juba’s library; and Durham University’s Palace Green. For decades Ms Jane Hogan, the keeper of archives at Palace Green, and her dedicated staff have been useful to researchers on Sudan. I am grateful for their support during my visits to the library. I am also grateful to the staff of the library of the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, for their assistance when I did some research there in May 2014. I am grateful to Lodoviko Lual Aken Lual, the deputy clerk for Parliamentary Affairs, and his staff in the Library of the NLA for their assistance.

Fr Mauro Henry Tadiwe, Chairperson of the Skills for Southern Sudan, selected me to represent the Southern Sudanese community in Nairobi, Kenya, in May 2005 for the organisation’s workshop. While attending the workshop, I had the opportunity to network with some key informants and conduct some interviews. Professor Moses Macar, the vice president of the Republic of Sudan, provided me with air ticket to travel to Khartoum in November 2005 and conduct research. Uncle Paul Marial was so generous, as usual. He accommodated me in his house in Gerif West and organised a reception in my honour. In the UK, Napoleon Adok of www.gurtong.net¹, Africa Centre, London, awarded me a small grant, and Mayom Kuoc Malek contributed some funds to meet the cost of my travel to Durham in 2003. Dr Betty Ochan Ogwaro fetched a second-hand laptop computer for the purpose of writing the research. I am indebted to them all.

I would like to sincerely register my gratitude to all my interviewees and correspondents for trusting me with their life stories. More important, I am grateful to the many people, colleagues, and friends who provided their insight for the research. While researching for this book, I benefited enormously from sessions of stimulating conversations with a number of South Sudanese. It is sad that some of my participants have since departed us before they witnessed the fruits of their labour. In no particular order, I am indebted to Uncle Gordon Muortat, His Majesty Reth Kwongo Dak and Prince Mathias Twong Dak, Gen Joseph Lagu, Professor Philip Yona, Uncle Bona Baak (Madingdit), Lual Diing Wol, Dr John Gai Yoh, Professor Paul Lodu Bureng, Pal Puok, Gen Peter Cirilo, Lt Col (Rtd) Musa Abdalla Adam, Barnaba Dumö, Ambassador Bol Wek Agoth, Serafino Wani Swaka, Hussein Mar Nyot, Robert Benjamin Lwoki, Ambassador John Ukec Lueth, Henry Omai, Dr Henry Wani, Gen Dominic Dim Deng, Dr Stephen Anyaak Chol, Majok Muorwel, Dr Nyan-nyang Joseph, Afram Wani Peter, Wol Bol Malual, Chief Dhor Ariik and his son Kornelio Mawien Dhor Ariik, Deng Akol, Paul Mabor Ayom, Mabor Riong, Dr Zakaria Bol Deng, Oliver Batali Albino, Mama Christina Ayen Parek, Dr Michael Hussein Milli, Dr Barnaba Marial Benjamin, Ring Arop Kuol, Ambassador Majok Gwondong, Arkangelo {Kuoldit) Deng Abot, Simon Mijok Mijak, chief Santino Deng Mayar Bilkuei, Dr Dhieu Mathok, Dr Makur Matur Kariom, Brigadier Edward Lomude Eyobo, Dr Andrew Wieu, Professor Ambrose Ahang, Samuel Machar, Albino Chol, Brigadier Stephen Ogut, Dr Stephen Abraham, Dr Richard K. Mulla, Telar Ring Deng, Deng Deng Hoc Yai, Samuel Taban (who provided me with lists of the first five batches of Rumbek Secondary School),² Gabriel Mathiang Rok, Ezekiel Macuei, Gen Alison Manai Magaya, Aldo Ajou, Malual Deng, Kenyatta Warille, Justice John Wuol, Justice John Onge, Brigadier John Gum, Arop Madut, Richard Biong, Dr David N. Mayo, William Lochi, Paul Malong Akaro, Lucia Riamondo Tombura, Gen El Tahir Bior, Lawrence Modi Tombe, Bior Ajang, Mark Mayol, Angelina Teny, Koat Martin, Professor Peter Obadayo Tingwa, Gen David Okwier Akway, Dr Deng Dongrin Akuany, Gen Agasio Akol, Justice Chan Reec Madut, Ben Loki, Dr Ajak Bullen Alier, Samuel Ateny Lueth Deng, Daniel Deng Kut, Maj Gen Louis Aleardo, George Muras Lomoro, George Maker Benjamin, Fr George Kinga, Bangat Amum, Dr Samson Samuel Wassara, Dr Lazarus Leek Mawut, Morris Lomodong, Dr Lam Akol, Parmena Awerial, John Angol Kero, Atem Yak Atem, Cdr Stephen Madut Baak, Anthony Joseph Kpandu, Dr Mario Awet, Dr Cosmas D. Wani, Nicola Nyual Bol, D. K. Mathews, Philip Thon Leek, Dr Julia Duany, Gen Bona Baang Dhol, Dr John Jooyul Yol, Fr Raphael Riel Chol, Fr Mauro Henry Tadiwe, Dr John Akec Apurout, Uncle John ‘Kazok’ Chuol Ruei, Dr Paul Wani Gore, Majok Mading and John Ruac.

I am grateful to many friends and colleagues who read and provided useful comments on various drafts of the introduction chapter: Dr Stephen Abraham, Fr Mauro Henry Tadiwe, Dr Lam Akol, Atem Yaak Atem, Dr Laura Beny, Dr Samson Samuel Wassara, Dr John Gai Yoh, and Dr Mariri John Blackings. Dr Steve Cowan and Dr Pauline Macaulay, colleagues from the Institute of Education, University of London, made constructive editorial comments on further drafts of the introduction and conclusion chapters. Steve was also kind enough to edit chapters on academics and women pioneers. I would especially like to register my gratitude to Atem Yak Atem, Dr Stephen Abraham, Dr John Gai Yoh, Fr Mauro Henry Tadiwe, and Dr Lam Akol, who enthused over my research and continuously encouraged and provided support to me to complete the work.

I am indebted to Makur Andrea Chol and Anthony Juma Kuol for accommodating me many times in their flats between 2002 and 2003 in Birmingham and Middlesbrough, respectively. Anthony Juma Kuol hosted me in his flat in Middlesbrough when I was doing my first research at Palace Green Library, Durham University, in 2003. David Abugo Danga, Danga’a Lubari Ramba, Santo Malek Anai, and Makur Maker handled the questionnaire in Khartoum in 2002–2003. Without their assistance and support, the accomplishment of this work would have been difficult, and I am therefore indebted to all of them. Dr Douglas H. Johnson of St Antony’s College, Oxford, provided helpful advice at the conceptualization stage of the research. The Professor Richard Gray, an authority on the history of Southern Sudan, encouraged me that it was a worthwhile research to undertake³. Finally, I must mention my own family, specifically my dear wife, Flora Danga. Her support throughout the long period of research and writing of this book was tremendous. The boys, Mandela, TK, and Arop, and their sister, Sarah Ayen, must have wondered why I was on the phone or travelling all the time. I believe that they will appreciate the contents of this book. Notwithstanding these debts, the views expressed in this book and any errors are mine and mine alone.

List of Abbreviations

The Long Road to Independence: A Timeline of Milestones

Introduction

‘People who have knowledge of their past can walk confidently into their future.’ – a South African freedom fighter, 2004

This book is the first volume of the Biographical Dictionary of South Sudan, an ongoing research project begun in July 2001. As the subtitle of the book, The Notable Firsts, suggests, this volume is primarily concerned with historically significant South Sudanese personalities, deceased and contemporary alike, and their illustrious careers. Luminaries from all walks of life, including politics, traditional leadership, civil service, academia, and sports, are featured.

Biographies occupy an important place in Sudanese literature. It has been suggested that the first book published in 1805 by a Sudanese author, Mohammed Al-Nur Wad Daif Allah’s Tabaqat wad Daif Allah (i.e., Sudanese Memoirs,)⁴ was a volume of biographies of notables in the Sultanate of Sennar.⁵ A copy of the original text is deposited at the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford. Richard Hill’s Biographical Dictionary of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, on prominent Sudanese and non-Sudanese personalities who died before 1945,⁶ is the most important biographical book of its kind in the Sudan. In 1988 the first Sudanese contemporary biography was published in Arabic.⁷

However, South Sudan is under-represented in more recent biographies. Sudanese authors from both North⁸ and South⁹ Sudan, as well as foreign scholars,¹⁰ have written many books in the fields of anthropology, linguistics, history, politics, and war. Nonetheless, less attention has been paid to South Sudanese actors who played significant roles in the political history of the country. Other works that provide biographical entries¹¹ of South Sudanese nationals, such as editions of the International Who’s Who in the Arab World and Africa Who’s Who,¹² are sparse, contain errors, or have incomplete information. For example, Gordon Abiei,¹³ lawyer from Rumbek and the founding president of the Southern Front (SF), is described as originating from Abyei. Victoria Yar, a Dinka from Cueibet in Lakes, the first South Sudanese female university graduate, is erroneously said to be ethnically Bari from Equatoria.¹⁴ Ezbon Mondiri, the veteran South Sudanese politician, is incorrectly described as having been educated in Rumbek.¹⁵ In fact Mondiri was among those South Sudanese students who undertook their secondary education in Uganda.

Defining South/ern Sudan

Linguistically, there is a distinction between the phrases South Sudan and Southern Sudan. The former refers to an independent entity, and the latter implies a geographical part of the Sudan, but within both popular and official discourse in the new country, the phrase Southern Sudan continues to be used. I tend to use the two terms interchangeably.¹⁶ South Sudan or Southern Sudan is defined here by its frontiers as they stood on Sudan Independence Day in January 1956, plus the Abyei area.

For simplicity, I refer to South Sudan’s original three provinces of Bahr el Ghazal, Equatoria, and Upper Nile.¹⁷ For many reasons Abyei is considered part of South Sudan: First, the Dinka Ngok people are culturally affiliated with their South Sudanese compatriots. Second, the people of Abyei share a common history with, and believe that they are, South Sudanese. In fact the outcome of the unauthorized referendum conducted in Abyei in October 2013 dispelled any doubt as to the desire of the people of the area as far as their future is concerned. In this exercise, the Dinka Ngok, with 99.9 per cent of voters, opted to join South Sudan.¹⁸ Third, they equally participated in all South Sudan’s wars of liberation for the new country. Many Dinka Ngok freedom fighters fought alongside their South Sudanese comrades in both the Anya nya and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) movements.¹⁹ Also, many South Sudanese SPLA freedom fighters died in battle to liberate Abyei. Indeed, the gallantry of the Ngok freedom fighters in battle was widely known in the SPLA. At one time Cdr Kerubino Kuanyin, the deputy commander-in-chief of the SPLA, coined the phrase Ma Ngok – literally, ‘man of Ngok’ – to signify the heroism of SPLA fighters. The role played by the Ngok Dinka in the liberation wars of South Sudan underscores their intention to identify with South Sudan and to reject the decision of the British colonial administration in 1905 to annex their area to Kordofan in the Northern Sudan. This fact was acknowledged by both the Addis Ababa Accord (AAA)²⁰ of 1972 and the Abyei Protocol of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) of 2005. It was therefore appropriate that the people of Abyei were represented in the governance structures of the Southern Sudan. I have therefore included entries for exemplary citizens of Abyei in this book.

The Purpose of the Book

This book has several main aims. Its primary purpose is historical: it presents biographical profiles or accounts of the entrants, it seeks to highlight the accomplishments and contributions of entrants in their respective fields of expertise or in the public sphere. But the aim of this study is not only to present entrants’ biographies – it is mostly to place the entries in a broader historical perspective. Thus, the biographical dictionary, though concerned about personal accounts of entrants, discusses pivotal events that are linked to the entrants and shaped the history of South Sudan. Central to understanding the history of South Sudan is the biographical information of personalities who have taken part in major events or who have assumed important offices in the country or liberation movements. There is also an attempt to provide some explanation to events.

In the Sudan, the history of Southern Sudan is hardly mentioned except for references in the third year of secondary school’s syllabi to the Nuer and Zande revolts against the British colonialism. The efforts of scholars²¹ at the University of Khartoum’s Graduate College to correct this disservice to the history of the Sudan were stopped by the rise to power of the National Islamic Front–led military regime in Khartoum in 1989. The military rulers embarked on a new project of rewriting the history of the Sudan. This book is an attempt to address this issue. By writing profiles of prominent personages behind the historical events, the book aims to recount the history of South Sudan. Some entrants date back to the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. The book includes ex-slaves and eminent personalities of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries such as Fr Daniel Deng Suruor, Zienab Caterina, Ali Jifun, Joseph Kuku, and Ali Abdelatatif because of their perceptible South Sudanese roots.²² In effect, this volume intends to chronicle the major historical events in the country from a biographical approach and perspective. (See ‘The Road to Independence’ above.)

Moreover, the study has another broad objective. Initially I wanted to write a book on nationalism in Southern Sudan. I realised that since the late 1990s, South Sudanese authors have published a series of books exploring the political contexts in the Southern Sudan.²³ These memoirs provide a useful insight into key political developments in the country. The analysis of the political discourse in the country suggests that nationalism is a relatively subjective phenomenon. The political conversion of Santino Deng Teeng is an example: as one of the early South Sudanese politicians, he was linked with some of the most infamous and diabolical Khartoum regimes, which committed inhuman atrocities in the Southern Sudan in the 1960s. Teeng was espeacilly reviled for his participation as the only South Sudanese minister in the notorious regime of General Ibrahim Abboud. However, in an interview with the Khartoum Monitor²⁴ newspaper, published on 4 February 2002, Santino Deng Teeng depicted the South-North relations as fundamentally characterised by slavery and oppression. In the interview, he declared his support for the SPLA as the only salvation for the people of the Southern Sudan. It is to be underlined here that slavery had far-reaching, divisive consequences between North and South relations. For example, Northern Sudanese derogatorily referred to their fellow Southern Sudanese as abid (slaves). The authorities promptly withdrew the newspaper’s license. Santino Deng Teeng died a few years later as an SPLM member, and he received a hero’s burial in his hometown of Aweil. There are many instances of similar politically oppressive acts. They underline the main thesis of the present volume: namely that exploring the biographical trajectories of individuals is essential if we are to reveal in full the many contributions towards national freedom.

The biographies outlined in this book represent an attempt to capture rays of nationalism in South Sudan. These characteristically peaked at particular moments, such as the time of struggle, confrontation in battle with the North, discussion at the negotiating table about the South-North relations, or threats to the existence of the South as an entity. This was markedly evidently on a number of occasions and include, for instance, the Juba Conference of 1947, the Round Table Conference (RTC) of March 1965, the Addis Ababa Peace Talks of 1972, the Abuja Peace Talks of 1990 and 1991, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development’s (IGAD) peace initiative and the Machakos Peace Talks of 2002–2005. South Sudanese opinion largely coalesced on the war of liberation, questions of North-South relations, and self-determination. The participation of South Sudanese in the wars of liberation was impressively extensive. Chief Aleny Aleu movingly told Dr Francis Mading Deng that the desolation caused by the seventeen-year war in South Sudan was pervasive across the region.

The terrible things that have happened in this area, if I were to take you … around the whole South, to see the bones of men [women and children] lying in the forest, to see houses that were burned down, villages that were set on fire, to see this and that, you would leave without asking … is this how we were living in one country?²⁵

This devastation during the first two wars of liberation suggests that there is no South Sudanese family who has not lost a relative. Such private losses can be seen as the most significant manifestation of shared national sacrifice. Most recently, all political parties collectively agreed on the conduct of the referendum that led to independence in July 2011. The unprecedentedly huge turnout, which included the elderly, the frail, and the sick, reflected the consensus and the overwhelming endorsement by a majority of voters (98.83 per cent) for the secession option.

Examination of political developments and the rise of political leadership in the 1960s, including the pinnacle of South Sudan’s nationalism to the present day, demonstrates that the leadership of South Sudan was less characterised by ethnic affiliations or regionalism than previously thought. Rather, leaders originated from diverse ethnic backgrounds. This point can be illustrated by further examining the ascendance of the three most revered South Sudanese political leaders: Fr Saturnino Lohure, William Deng, and Uncle Clement Mboro. These leaders commanded universal respect and support from a wide spectrum of South Sudan’s populace. The aim of this book is to pay tribute to this generation of South Sudan’s freedom fighters. Through exemplary leadership, they distinguished themselves by self-sacrifice and patriotism that underpinned their resolute devotion to the cause of their people.

The three leaders came to prominence in the 1960s, the most difficult period in the history of the Southern Sudan, when successive Arab-dominated regimes in Khartoum perpetrated genocidal policies against Southern Sudanese. Despite their demise, the South Sudanese felt their ubiquitous influence. These policies included widespread killing among the educated class, the assassination of Southern Sudanese politicians, and the creation of a general climate of fear and terror. More educated South Sudanese and political leaders lost their lives during this time than in all of the preceding decades. I give three examples.

Fr Saturnino Lohure led the South Sudanese in the Anya nya movement. He was the patron of the national resistance movement, leading the resistance in exile. His contributions through his work and contacts with foreign countries and organisations were pivotal to the national movement of the time. Similarly, William Deng remarkably distinguished himself as a charismatic leader at a time when SANU brought a distinctive insight into the Sudanese political landscape. He has been credited with the promotion of the notion of the unification of the Black Bloc, an umbrella political organisation for the marginalised people in the Sudan. He was one of the first Southern Sudanese leaders who perceived and articulated the political stalemate in the country in a way that had not been previously envisaged – that is, as a national problem, not as a ‘Southern problem’.

Uncle Clement Mboro was involved in the political struggle since the 1940s, and he was arguably the most towering figure within the history of the national movement. He was propelled to leadership of the Southern (Internal) Front, a role that was epitomised by his geographical constituency. He had the largest territorial constituency in the South, a microcosm of the region that included the metropolitan city of Wau, representative of the region’s diverse ethnic groups. During the days of the politics of the Kokora,²⁶ South Sudanese politicians, and particularly members of the Regional Assembly (the Parliament), rallied around him as the candidate for the presidency of the High Executive Council (HEC), in order to unify Southern Sudan. He narrowly lost to Joseph Tombura. Although the political support for these leaders was at times partisan, nonetheless they commanded considerable respect in the eyes of many South Sudanese. They were seen as the embodiment of national aspirations. It is true that some of these leaders made enemies during their political careers because they strived to achieve their political goals.

This pinnacle of nationalism influenced politics in the Southern Sudan. In the aftermath of the October Revolution of 1964, the intelligentsia of the Southern Sudan nominated Ezbon Mondiri and Luigi Adwok, both in prison at the time, and recalled Hilary Logali from his postgraduate studies at Yale University, United States, to be their representatives in Sirr El Khatim Al Khalifa’s government. Others also played important roles: Ambrose Riny Thiik represented Equatoria in the Southern Front’s Youth Congress in Malakal in 1965; Abdel Fadil Agot and Isaiah Kulang, both Dinkas, were members of the Equatoria Branch; Bismarck Bungdit, a Kuku, was a member of the party’s executive committee in Bahr el Ghazal.²⁷ More recently, Peter Awol, a Shilluk from Kodok, was elected by citizens of the old Lakes Province (Tonj, Rumbek, and Yirol) to the Regional Assembly, Juba, in 1982. The people of Lakes Province were not the first to do this. In the 1950s, Joshua Malual Mut, a Nuer from Fangak, represented Bentiu in the Parliament in Khartoum. These examples accentuate the study’s fundamental proposition that South Sudanese tend to uphold democratic structures and values. In addition, efforts to emphasise this tendency can bring together all the people of South Sudan to overcome the negative impact of greed, corruption, and more important tribalism. The narrative in this book offers an opportunity to understand more fully the history of the long struggle for liberation in South Sudan and its impact not only on the entrants but also on readers themselves.

South Sudanese nationalism appears to influence the election of its leaders. When Dr John Garang, the leader of the SPLM, died in July 2005, the leadership of the SPLM aptly coalesced around General Salva Kiir Mayardit as his successor. Today, portraits of individuals who occupied the office of Speaker of the Parliament in South Sudan, from the first Speaker Lubari Ramba in 1973 to the Right Honourable James Wani Igga, the present holder of the office, are prominently displayed in the main entrance of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) in Juba. Similarly, in the Office of the President of the Republic of South Sudan, there is a poster displaying images of those who served in the Office of the President of the Southern Sudan, from Abel Alier in March 1972²⁸ to General Salva Kiir Mayardit, the first president of the Republic. The historical significance of these posters is clear. Taking into account the background of these men in the poster, it can be seen that all the provinces – and many ethnic groups in South Sudan – were directly involved in the governance of the South. Even if one were to exclude the unelected leaders (Joseph Garang, Abel Alier, Peter Gatkuoth, Gissmala Abdalla Rasas, James Loro, Mathew Obur, Angelo Beda, Pio Yokwan, Dr Riek Machar, Gabriel Gatluak, Dr Riek Gai, Dr John Garang, and Salva Kiir Mayardit) and consider only the elected officials (i.e., all the speakers of the National Assembly, Lubari Ramba, Hilary Logali, Uncle Clement Mboro, Isaiah Kulang, Angelo Beda, Mathew Obur, and James Wani Igga) and the elected Presidents (Abel Alier, Joseph Lagu, Joseph Tombura, and Salva Kiir Mayardit), the evidence further affirms that the South is quite ecumenical in its choice of leaders, which provides a fervent base for nationalism in the country. In this respect the book deliberately highlights the entrants’ perspectives, which sought to promote values and ideals of national cohesion. It attempts to capture and celebrate this spirit of South Sudanese nationalism in order to inspire future generations of South Sudanese leaders.

Finally, through the biographies of South Sudanese entrants presented in this book, I seek to highlight the socio-economic disparity between the two parts of the Old Sudan. For example, at the time of Independence in 1955, the North was relatively developed in terms of education and health services.

In 1500 schools there were 160,000 boys. In 300 schools there were 33,000 girls. In … [the] Technical Institute in Khartoum there were 600 students by day and 1000 in the evening classes. In a University College, recognised academically by London University, there were 600 students in all faculties and a staff of nearly 100. In 43 major hospitals, 170 Sudanese doctors.²⁹

In contrast, during the same period the Southern Sudan lagged behind.

[T]he South entered independence having only five university graduates, one secondary school, and a handful of junior administrative officers, no doctors, engineers, agriculturalists or other experts.³⁰

The first South Sudanese doctor, Dr Clement Khamis, graduated as late as 1960. The discrepancy in South-North socio-economic development persisted after the country’s independence under successive Sudanese regimes. This is a further indication of the political and economic marginalisation of the Southern Sudan, linked with the disproportionate unequal distribution of political power in the country. Since the independence of Sudan, only those Southern Sudanese who served as members³¹ of the symbolic Supreme Council of State had the opportunity to be heads of state. Dr John Garang and General Salva Kiir Mayardit, as first vice president in 2005, came close to becoming head of state. In the case of the members of the Supreme Council of the State, the rotation of the chairmanship of this nominal body was abolished in 1965³² to ensure that no more Southern Sudanese (i.e., Philemon Majok, Jervase Yak, and Dr Pacifico Lado Lolik, who occupied similar positions in 1966 and 1986) were denied the opportunity of holding this high office.

The Entrants

The book presents 700 entrants of leading South Sudanese personalities. The entrants in the book are classified into categories according to three main criteria: historical era, profession, and career or political associations. It must be admitted that the categorisation is far from being discrete in time. However, as loose as it is, it provides a possible framework within which one can trace the entrants’ profiles. I attempt to create entries for personalities deemed to have contributed something of importance, with historical or social significance, to South Sudan. I draw entrants from all walks of life, including traditional leadership, the clergy, politics, civil service, academia, and sports. The entrants, with the exception of Nyikang in the first chapter, are listed alphabetically by their first names, as the concept of family name or surname in the standard Western tradition is rarely used in the Sudan. A listing might read as follows: Aquila Manyuon, Victoria Yar, Luigi Adwok, Aggrey Jaden, Moses Chuol, Abel Alier, Peter Gatkuoth, Joseph Lagu, Tito Tipo, Samuel Abu-John, Bona Malwal, and Emmanuel Abur. These are, in most cases, combinations of Christian and first names of these individuals. To solve this inherent problem, an attempt has been made, when possible, to provide full names (four names) for the entrants.

The entrants in this book vary from illustrious household names, such as Chief Deng Majok, Alek Wek, Manute Bol, and Abel Alier with their complete biographies, as well as Uncle Clement Mboro and Dr John Garang. But many names may be unfamiliar, and I argue that we should be equally aware of and celebrate their roles in our national history. Some of these entrants were the foot soldiers who liberated our country, representing women and men whose names history may not remember, but whose actions helped write it. Where possible I start the biography for each entrant with a professional category that may encapsulate or represent his or her public life (e.g., traditional leader, politician, sportsman). I found it extremely difficult to categorize some of the entrants. Many people in South Sudan have varied vocations. Although I make references to the entrants’ range of occupations, I decided to designate the most important career that defines the entrant’s public life. For example, Abel Alier, the first South Sudanese judge, is widely known for his prominent position in the government as the first president of the HEC. Similarly, Samuel Abu-John, the first South Sudanese graduate of military college, was widely known for his leading role in the Anya nya movement. In addition, entrants are accompanied by a short caption in the form of an epithet that epitomises their personalities or public careers. For instance, William Nyuon was known as ‘Guandit’, Eliaba James Surur as ‘Solid Rock’, and Madam Rebecca Nyandeng as ‘the Mother of the Nation’. For entries for traditional leaders, where possible I used their bull names, such as Chief Aguer Adel of Tonj, ‘Thongbai’. The sources for the information (i.e., questionnaires) for the entrants are indicated in the footnotes.

A Personal Note on Data Collection

As a student of sociology, I have always been captivated by biographies. I believe that there is an awful lot one can appreciate from them. But the idea of witting this book originated in the 1990s in the UK. From the early 1990s, the community in Britain commemorated loss of many prominent South Sudanese (e.g. Peter Gatkuoth, Justice Martin Majier, Joseph Oduho, Gen Brian Maggot, Gen John Akot, Gen Joseph Kuol Amum, Samuel Aru, Dr Achol Deng, Justice Gordon Abiei, Hilary Logali, Cdr Martin Manyiel Ayuel, A/Cdr Ageer Gum, Cdr Pierre Ohure Okeruk etc…). During the memorials poignant tributes were paid to the lives of these glorious South Sudanese individuals for their remarkable role in the cause of the liberation struggle. Some of the material was absorbing. It occurred to me that it should be recorded for posterity. When I intimated this idea to some members of the community, I received an overwhelming encouragement. Uncle Gordon Muortat saw it as an opportunity to chronicle the political history of South Sudan. Gen Joseph Lagu, who was editing his own memoirs (Sudan: Odyssey through a State: from Ruin to Hope, 2006), was supportive as well. He provided me with some material from the manuscript.

In 2002, I approached Dr Douglas H. Johnson, St Antony’s College, Oxford, for advise. Although he cautioned that biographies were hard to sell and therefore difficult to publish, he enthusiastically approved the idea of writing a Biographical Dictionary for South Sudan. Underlining the significance of the research, he remarked that this was a project he wanted done 40 years ago, when he was working for the Regional Government as the Deputy Director for Archives in Juba. He helpfully provided me with