Tributes and Appreciation to the Patriotic Life of Gen. Andrew Makur Thou

Eulogies and Tributes to the Revolutionary Life of Gen. Andrew Makur Thou

By Atem Yaak Atem, Sydney, Australia

March 26, 2018 (SSB) — Glowing tributes have been paid to General Andrew Makur Thou, who died last week. As will be seen later in this appreciation, Makur was a freedom fighter, a decorated military officer, a politician, a diplomat, a community leader, and towards the end of his life, an honest broker in peacemaking process to end the debilitating armed conflict in his country.

Reacting to the news of the death of General Makur Thou, one of the Eminent Personalities working to resolve the armed conflict in South Sudan, the office of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Mechanism (JMEC)- headed by the former president of Botswana, Festus Mogae- released a statement to express the body’s condolence.

“Ambassador General Makur was a patriot, a champion of peace and indeed a key pillar in the 2015 Peace Agreement of the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS)”, read the release in part. It went on to describe late Makur’s contribution as “sober and honest”, and with the general death “the entire South Sudan Peace process” will miss his role.

As chair of Security Working Committee, retired General Andrew Makur worked alongside the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM) team. The organ’s head, Major General Ibrahim Abduljellil, has recognised late Makur as a leader who “had an ability to instil great understanding amongst CTSAMM forum”.

The True “Lazarus” are the Children of South Sudan in the Refugee and IDP Camps

By Malith Alier, Perth, Western Australia

March 26, 2018 (SSB) — The two writings by Gordon Buay and Simon Yel in defence of Hon. Mayen Wol Jong, the former Chief Administrator (CA) in the Office of the President (OP) which appeared on sudantribune and panluelwel on March 21 and 24 respectively should not go unchallenged.

One regrets that Gordon Buay, a secretary made Charge de’Affaires for South Sudan embassy in Washington would put too much energy in Juba affairs in expense of his duties in the USA. The Trump administration has recently ramped up sanctions on the regime in the presence of the learnt ambassador.

The circumstances under which Mayen and the Kenyans were released have not been made clear as cited by both authors of the said articles. John Agou continues to languish in jail for unknown cause after the emancipation of the co-accused. This seemed to have escaped the conscience of the supporters of Mayen.

IGAD Council of Ministers: Riek Machar will soon be released from South Africa

Find attached the final Communique from the 61st Extraordinary Session of the IGAD Council of Ministers on the Republic of South Sudan

“Decides the house arrest of SPLM/IO Leader Dr Riak Machar be lifted as soon as possible, on conditions that ensure he will renounce violence and not obstruct the peace process and he be allowed to relocate to any country outside the region and are not neighboring South Sudan; designated IGAD Ministers will propose and decide a possible location.”

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development is an eight-country trade bloc in Africa. It includes governments from the Horn of Africa, Nile Valley, and the African Great Lakes. Its headquarters are in Djibouti City.

 

Position Paper of SSSAK on the IGAD-Led High-Level Revitalization Forum (HLRF)

Position paper of the South Sudanese Students’ Association in Kenya (SSSAK) on the IGAD-Led High-Level Revitalization Forum (HLRF) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Leaders of the SSSAK together with Ayuel Taupiny Malek, President of South Sudan Students’ Association In Kenya (SSSAK) For Universities and Colleges Students’ in Kenya.

March 26, 2018 (SSB) — In the recent wake, following the suspension of peace talks in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), be regional body responsible for conflict mitigation, management and resolution proposed more inclusive consultative fora among the South Sudanese communities. In particular, the civil society groups namely, the church, intellectual think tanks, women bloc to mention but a few.

This is a very noble suggestion the IGAD and its partners have made so far in their tireless effort to bring about a durable peace in our young, nation. We applaud this move and give it our full support. It is our collective belief that for any meaningful peace to happen, having an inclusive, transparent and wide consultation is of significance.

The object of this paper however, is to explain our position as a vibrant students’ community in one of the most strategic places in our country’s history. It was here that the birth of our Great Nation was mediated and subsequently agreed upon through the unified will of our population 13 years ago.

Vowing to public pressure, the office of the 1st VP fires Ms Animu, a Ugandan national

Vowing to public pressure, the office of the 1st VP, Gen Taban Deng Ghai, fires Ugandan national, Ms Animu Athiei, who masqueraded as a South sudanese national and got employed as Taban’s office secretary. 

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How Prostitution and Destitution have taken the highest toll in Juba, South Sudan

By Pal Chol Nyan, Juba, South Sudan

Thank to PrEP and PEP, you can protect yourself and love ones from HIV/AIDS

March 26, 2018 (SSB) — With war and hunger; everything is possible. We cannot be surprised to see the ills now happening. Poverty is the cause of all evils. It is the cost of prostitution which brings about transmission of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections.

It is good to bring it to the attention of those who want to live long that it is not only HIV/AIDS that is sexually transmitted. Hepatitis B and C are also transmitted through sex, blood transfusion and sharing of sharp needles just like HIV/AIDS. They have different ways of leading to death. B causes liver cirrhosis and C causes cancer of the liver.

There are also other sexually transmitted infections like syphilis and gonorrhea besides other viral infections sexually transmitted too. They are many. We need to be careful and stick to our partners. Why do people want to die when they know the cause?  I know we are mortals and will eventually die no matter how long we live on earth but let us help God to safeguard our lives.

Letter to the Editor: The International Day of “Ending Slavery and Slave Trade”

By Awet Maker Buong, Nanjing, China

Does the future of South Sudan lie with the Arabs and the Arab League

March 26, 2018 (SSB) — Today is International Day for the victims of Slavery and Slave Trade. For over 400 years, sold and captured Africans were treated lower than animals between 1444 and 1850. One expects millions of Africans to know about this. Ironically, Africans don’t know and do not care to know not to talk of commemorate this day. An estimated 15 to 25 million Africans were uprooted.

Thousands jumped aboard the ships and died heroically; death was preferable to slavery. Thousands were thrown overboard and fed to sharks by the Europeans. This was the period that marked the beginning of our underdeveloped status; scientifically, technologically, economically, socially and politically. It was the period that ushered in the stereotyping of the African based on skin colour. It was the period that racists began to smile and designed the concept of racism against the African.

South Sudan: Where we ended up as we journeyed to the Promise Land

By Kon Joseph Leek, Juba, South Sudan

Does the future of South Sudan lie with the Arabs and the Arab League

March 26, 2018 (SSB) — This wasn’t long before you where born, it is a live event, it’s a matter of living in Junub and see it all. This is the tale of our journey.

It was several days drive to the Promise Land on a long, dusty rough serpentine road with stuck and logs, uncleared thorns and cactus butts. It passed through the meandering rocky rivers and fords, gorged valleys, thick jungles, windy scorching deserts and to the blissful rhododendron bushes. The driver, our million-pounds-worth-driver successfully drove us through and that wasn’t the end of the journey.

While the Promise Land was some few hundred miles away arrived a murky gigantic swamp swarmed with a million of snakes that looks like thousands of ropes thrown on the mud, frogs whose noisy sounds is as of generators of Konyo-konyo and Jebel markets, fireflies with several sparkling lights flashing as club lights, crocodiles lies there as logs Hippos bulging as rocks and anthills plus other dangerous swamps’ inhabitants.

Neither Arop Madut nor Mabior Garang has fully explained the December 2013 Crisis

In neither Madut nor Mabior Lies an Elusive Solution to the 2013 Conflict

By Deng Vanang, Dares Salaam, Tanzania

 

Gen Paul Malong Awan and Dr Majak Agot Atem warmly embraces each other in Nairobi Kenya, during the funeral rite of Gen Andrew Makur Thou

 

March 25, 2018 (SSB) —- The said story with its full content to be divulged into as narrated by two personalities from different political divide demands a third person to clear the air of pollution it created.

These two Honorable personalities however, need not be extremely admonished too for some deliberate misrepresentation of facts that are yet to be explained.

Since after all they are politicians and each wants his side to be safe and secure in the annals of history and not necessarily ignorant of history or political realities of the day in our country.

Particularly, Honorable Arop Madut Arop is the respected writer and politician known to many for being old enough to be Uncle to most readers of this esteemed website.

He is moreover an up to date academic who has been through torturous journey this beloved country has travelled more than seventy years ago.

While the man, Honorable Mabior Garang de Mabior who is rebutting Madut’s side of story of conflict is equally exemplary in the way he put forward his counterargument.