AYUEL LEEK RETURNS TO HIS MOTHERLAND

[Note: Ayuel Leek Deng, guest writer and one of the principal characters in Courageous Journey, recently returned to the United States after his first trip to South Sudan since it became a separate country from Sudan.]

Ayuel Leek Deng arrives in Juba

“Returning to South Sudan I had mixed feelings of happiness and sadness as I boarded a plane from Kansas City to Chicago on May 26, 2012. From there I took British Airways to London and then proceeded to Kampala where I spent the first night in my motherland.  The following morning, I woke up thinking of Juba, the new capital city of South Sudan, the land on which a portion of my own blood dripped, as a child fleeing the cruelty of my own government.

“On Friday the first of June, I landed at the airport of that city with a sense of pride and guilt of growing up in foreign lands for over 22 years away from home.  At the airport, those mixed feelings of happiness and sadness clouded my ability to concentrate on checkout and exit the airport without any trouble with airport personnel. In the checkout process, one of the employees who checked my passport asked me to pay $100 for an entrance visa because I was holding a US passport.

“I was shocked and remained speechless for a moment. I believe with all my heart that I have contributed more than enough for my country. I lost many of my immediate family members in the Civil War for the freedom our country, I co-authored the book titled Courageous Journey, Walking the Lost Boys’ Path from the Sudan to America to educate the world about the hidden genocide in Sudan and to pressure the international community to bring peace and stability in Sudan. I worked tirelessly during the referendum while abroad to ensure that the results and interests of our people are met.  Since the only thought in my mind was for us to develop the new nation, I did not hesitate to respect the law and paid the unjust fee. However that experience makes me fear that corruption is already settling in.

A Street Scene in Juba

“On my way from the airport to the house at Thangpiny—the name derived from the Dinka language meaning all lands are equal—I was sitting in the car back seat with all windows rolled down. I couldn’t believe what my eyes were staring at! Juba city is very crowded and at that particular time one could see the biggest gap between the poor and those who claim to be rich or upper class citizens. Some people were driving the most expensive cars that are even rare to see in the western countries.

“I did enjoy staying in that warm and peaceful new country with friendly and caring people. Juba is a diverse city where one can see all kind of people, of all races, religions and different cultural backgrounds. Within Juba there is a wide variety of facilities and entertainments. I was amazed to realize that Juba is the fastest growing city in the world. The country is developing very rapidly with unlimited opportunities for investment and cooperation.  I did enjoy my trip to Juba except for the images of small children aged from 2 to 12 years old on the streets, begging and starving to death right under the eyes of corrupt leaders.

“These are not the only tragedies in my mind that’s often disturbs my thoughts as I hope for a better tomorrow in South Sudan. Regardless of all these scary challenges, I do still call it a home that I belong to.”      —Ayuel Leek Deng

SOUTH SUDAN

Activists Show Solidarity with the People of Sudan

In the wake of escalating violence in Sudan and South Sudan over the past two weeks, activists came together in New York City, Washington DC and on Facebook to urge President Obama and Congress to immediately impose further sanctions on Sudan in response to Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir’s ongoing atrocities and blockade of humanitarian assistance.

With your calls, emails and rallies, we are succeeding in pushing legislation in response to the urgent and growing humanitarian needs of the Sudanese people. We now have the support of 73 members of Congress.

For more information and/or to help. Click here.

Tell your congressperson to stand up for the people
of Sudan by co-sponsoring the Sudan Peace,
Security and Accountability Act.

Sudan and South Sudan on the Brink of Another Civil War

Recently I received this email from Beny Ngor Chol, one of the subjects of Courageous Journey. It serves here as an introduction to the tragic events now occurring in the disputes over sharing oil revenue and defining the border between north and south.

Beny from Unity State

I have been very busy with what is happening in my hometown back in Unity State (Panrieng), South Sudan.The Sudan government has been bombarding the civilians in our homes and attacking our military base at the South Sudan border which has led to the fighting that has occurred along the two countries borders. However, the international community is blaming the victim (South Sudan’s government and its people) instead of blaming the Sudan government. They are asking our troops to withdraw from the oil area moving southward despite the fact that the oil area is within South Sudan’s border. This has made me question the stand of the international community in regard to  Sudan’s long [north/south] civil war that has taken millions of civilian lives and displaced over 4 million people.

I will attempt to trace the major points of the conflict in recent days, although the disagreements and attacks from the north have been on-going since the Republic of South Sudan became a separate nation 9 July, 2011.

Earlier in the month negotiations between the two countries that were being mediated by the African Union broke down in Ethiopia.

April 20, 2012: In a video message at the White House, President Obama urged Sudan and South Sudan to end their fighting and begin negotiations to settle the intensifying conflict. He put part of the onus on the government of Sudan, which he said “must stop its military actions, including aerial bombardments.”

“Likewise,” Obama said, “South Sudan must end its support for armed groups inside Sudan and it must cease its military actions across the border.”

The United States, the United Nations and the African Union condemned South Sudan for sending troops into Heglig earlier this month and driving the two countries to the brink of war. But South Sudan has reason to believe that Heglig (the area that they call Pantho) is legitimately part of South Sudan’s Unity State, per the 1/1/1956 agreement.

April 16, 2012: The South Sudanese communities around the world, known as the South Sudan Volunteer Initiative (SSVI)* have sent a petition with over 1000 signatures to UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, with copies to the United States and others in the international community, calling for stopping “the ongoing carnage being committed by Sudan and facilitate an immediate return to the negotiation table in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.”

The petition further states, “…we find it shocking to see the level in which [Sudan] has been able to easily deceive the international community on the current crisis….This redrawing of the map in South Sudan by the regime in Khartoum as a result of oil discovery is clearly documented, and thus the reason for the continuous attack on South Sudan, an apparent campaign to annex South Sudan’s oil producing state of Unity to the North.”

The document lists acts of atrocities committed by the Khartoum government against South Sudan, including a raid and looting of Vice President Riek Machar’s home in which seven of his relatives were rounded up and taken to an unknown location. The international community is urged to “act now.”

April 29, 2012: Sudan declared a state of emergency on Sunday along much of its border with South Sudan as the momentum toward all-out war continues to build after weeks of clashes over disputed areas and oil. President Omar Hassan al-Bashir’s decree gives authorities in the border areas wide powers to make arrests and set up special courts. It was issued a day after Sudan detained three foreigners and a South Sudanese near the border and accused them of spying for South Sudan, a charge the South denies.

South Sudan, meanwhile, said Sunday that it would remove its security forces from the contested region of Abyei in response to demands from the African Union and the United Nations Security Council. “We are not occupying any contested area,” said South Sudan’s minister of information, Barnaba Marial Benjamin.

But reports of fighting continued through the weekend. On Saturday, Sudanese aircraft bombed Panakuach, a town near the border in Unity State, Mr. Benjamin said. And on Sunday, South Sudan’s army said clashes with what it called a militia group backed by Sudan left 21 people dead in Malakal, near the border. (Information by ISMA’IL KUSHKUSH and JOSH KRON/New York Times.)

May 2. A note from Beny who is a leader in the SSVI sent me this note today: “The task force committee for this group will hold the first meeting this week end in Kansas City, Mo stay tuned for the outcome.”

 

www.arkansaswriters.com

Article Spotlights “Sudan Sunrise”

Tom Prichard, founder and director of Sudan Sunrise, poses with children in Turalei, South Sudan, the hometown of pro-basketball star Manute Bol, who dreamed of building schools here. Mr. Prichard has Bol Bol on his shoulder, a member of Mr. Bol’s family and a student at the Manute Bol Primary School.

This week a feature in the Christian Science Monitor magazine tells the story of the growth of Sudan Sunrise, founded by American Tom Prichard to promote religious harmony and build schools in the new nation of South Sudan.

The movement is an amazing coalition of Sudanese, Americans and others, whose hearts resonate to Manute Bol’s dream of working together to build 41 schools for children of whatever tribe, religion, or ethnic background.

For the link to the article, click here.

Also check out other posts on Manute Bol (under Categories) and Sudan Sunrise (under Links) in SudanFaces.

CHRISTMAS IN SOUTH SUDAN AND SUDAN, 2011

The Referendum in January 2011 and the secession of South Sudan in July led to a different celebration of Christmas this year—on both sides of the north/south border.

In South Sudan, The Dean of All Saints Cathedral Rev. Fraser Yugu said that this year’s Christmas was far much different from other years with huge church attendance by Christian followers, including returnees from different countries. The celebrations were peaceful with no cases of violence registered.

Rev. Yugu said, “The celebration of this year was dedicated for prayers of South Sudan Unity by calling on all tribes to forgive one another, reconcile, and unite as one people of South Sudan.”

Both Archbishops of the Catholic Church and Episcopal Church in South Sudan, Paolino Lukudu Loro and Daniel Deng Bul, respectively also rallied their call for unity of the country. They decried the ongoing inter-tribal conflict in Jonglei, nepotism, tribalism, corruption and disunity.

Other religious leaders in their Christmas messages and Sunday preaching also called on the people of South Sudan to stop fighting, reconcile and develop love among the tribes, unite as one people and abstain from corrupt practices. Daniel Deng on Sunday urged the people of South Sudan to totally change and embrace peace. Victor George a Christian believer also commented that it was a good Christmas and Christians were hopeful that changes will come in the Country when the New Year begins.

In Sudan (north), much has changed, according to Bishop Ezekiel Kondo, and for the nation, since the holidays last year. Though, as bishop of the Episcopal Church of Sudan and the former chairman of the Sudanese Council of Churches, he is more in the minority than ever. South Sudan, with its large Christian population, became an independent nation over the summer, making for a Christmas of mixed feeling of joy and fear.

“There is an idea that Southern Sudanese have gone, therefore, the church has gone. That is not true,” Bishop Kondo said. “Sometimes, I am asked, ‘When will you go to South Sudan?’ ‘But I’m not from the south,’ I reply!” he said.

Bishop Kondo is from South Kordofan, a state dominated by ethnic Nuba, who are divided between Islam, Christianity and African traditional religions. Fighting erupted there last May between government forces and rebels allied with the party that now governs South Sudan. Thousands fled, including Archdeacon Hassan Sudan.

While concerns weigh heavily on the minds of many Sudanese Christian leaders, Bishop Kondo pointed out that Sudanese government officials had expressed a keenness to work with them. “The Ministry of Religious Guidance and Endowments have approached us to know what the timetable of services and celebrations are this Christmas, to come and congratulate, but to also make sure people celebrate peacefully,” he said. “I think this is a good gesture.”

“Despite the concerns, a Khartoum Christmas will go on this year. We won’t have turkey for dinner, but lamb, groundnuts, dates and baobab juice to drink,” said Nabil Bolis, an Episcopal teacher, with a smile.

THE LEOPARD TREE, a Must-read Novel about African Children

The Leopard Tree

As an adventure novel, The Leopard Tree by Tim Merriman and Lisa Brochu, is full of suspense, twists and turns, and unexpected outcomes. But the three orphaned children—with various limitations—will steal your heart. Daudi struggles with HIV that he’s had since birth, unable to pay for medicine. Masozi lost his sight and a leg when he stepped on a land mine. Ramla is unable to speak because of the atrocites she witnessed. These children reflect the reality I’ve seen in several young people from a Kenyan refugee camp: traumatized, yet courageous, determined, and optimistic. Like the young people whose stories I’ve heard, these children make heroic efforts to let the world know of the plight of war-ravished and impoverished people, especially in Africa. The message comes through loud and clear: We can all do our part, in some way, to lessen the suffering of innocent children. Learn more at The Leopard Tree or order the book on Amazon.