South Sudan, a country where opinion killsDecember 12, 2012 (SSNA) — We, the Greater Bor community in Australia are profoundly outraged by death of Isaiah Abraham. We have condemned the killing in the strongest terms possible. Circumstances surrounding his death clearly showed our people are being systematically targeted. Deep down in us, we are wrecked and demoralized beyond words. This community has been subjected to tenacious harassment, allegation, marginalisation and killing by Kiir’s junta. Who would again dispute the country is back into tyranny era? There is no doubt the Republic of South Sudan will go down in history as a country where opinion kills. Detaining, torturing and murdering of opinion writers and journalists rule in our beloved country. A dreadful act, condemnable internationally.
We learn the government has ordered investigation into Isaiah’s death, but what is mindboggling, how would the government that is implicated in this heinous act investigates itself? This is a hoax. The auction of $50,000 US put forward for anyone giving information leading to arrest of perpetrators is nothing, but a sham to distract the trend of homicide. The government is in the knowhow no one will show up since execution was carried out by its apparatus.
Before we get in-depth what this is, we would like to present our readers stanch and staunch of the Greater Bor community during liberation of Republic of South Sudan we are now barred off.
Greater Bor community stood firmly in solidarity with other Southerners in refusal to suppression and other gross human rights violation by the then Jallaba’s regime. We all fought and outlived the successive regime to ensure we have a nation we call ourselves citizens. The contribution of this community in the liberation is extensively known and well documented. The chivalrous forces of Koriom battalion hailed from this community. Their performance in the battle fields was magnificent. They fearlessly fought and won many combats. It was a battalion that made an enormous damaged to our then enemy, Koriom battalion destroyed first batch of Jallaba known as “Ten Thousand Troops” at Pan-Wel Abiryai battle. This community decently carried itself affably throughout the movement to ensure we achieved this freedom being nauseatingly abused.
We took up arms in rejection of slavery, marginalisation, suppression, systematic killing, injustice, extortions and corruptive system amongst many others. We fought for a country where we will be seen as equal citizens, free to express what one sees not going right. A country where one can sleep without lingering doubt of being dragged out in the dead of night and imprudently killed in the manner Isaiah Abraham was slain helplessly.
We fought for a nation where citizens can walk from Rumbek to Bor, from anywhere to somewhere in South Sudan without being waylaid and torpedoed aimlessly. We fought a system that was full of flaws and deceit. Instead, it is the very system we fought tireless that is currently taking shape in Juba. The government’s gadget, our own sons and daughters (South Sudanese) whose responsibilities are to protect and maintain law and order have turned deadly like the Jallaba we separated from. This is something we blame to wrong and mystified fallacies by the reigning government. Citizens are abducted, tortured and killed in cold blood. We have noticed, with deep regret, Juba, is just a subset of old Sudan. Citizens live in terror as if there is no government in place.
We chose to be quiet, thinking things will change down the track, but it just getting chancy as it gets. The recent cowardice killing of the renowned and insightful writer, Diing Chan Awuol (Isaiah Abraham) is an ominous and a bombshell to this community, and nation at large. It obvious the nation is hijacked by the terrorist who view everybody not from them, an alien. The death of Isaiah is first of its nomenclature, but not the first of its kind. People are nightly and daily slaughtered with impunity in Juba. Here is the list:
First, Colonel Chuol Manyuon Anei, a veteran from Zindia battalion of Koryom was killed on December 24, 2011 in Juba. He was dragged out of his residential house and killed mercilessly.
Second, Angeth Kuech Awan and Atem Awan Maper were deliberately shot and killed in the bank at Juba. As we write, there is no justice serves about their cases.
Third, John Akuach Jook a lawyer from Makerere University was killed in a highly suspicious mysterious car accident in Juba in December 2008, and until now killer is not indicted, and dangerously still on the loose.
Fourth, Mayol Kuch Duoi, a SPLA veteran who was an American citizen was shamelessly bashed to death by the SPLA’s soldiers when he paid visit to his mum at Pan-pandiar. No justice serves as well.
Fifth, Malong-dit de Aleng’s compound in Juba was deliberately fired at with the intention to kill him, fortunately they missed him.
Sixth, Mading Ngor Akech Kuai, co, founder of the New Sudan vision, former radio talk host, Bhakheta station in Juba was pulled apart and terribly beaten up by the lawless officers and now still being threatened.
Seventh, Mabior Garang de Mabior and his brother Chol were stalked, ambushed and beaten up by the group who identified themselves as being purposely sent for them. Mabior is made a disable as we write. His jaw is broken and many fractures around his body.
Eighth, Kuol Achiek Mac a University student was dragged out of his house and tortured severely just because he quarrelled the previous day with police officer.
Ninth, Michael Thon Mangok, a regular contributor of Southsudannation news outlet is being threatened to stop writing and he had to exile to Kenya.
Back to Isaiah’s case, late Isaiah Abraham took part in liberation of South Sudan. He joined the SPLA/SPLM in 1983 and trained in Bonga, Ethiopia. He served as military and political commissar in the Tiger battalion of the SPLA under the command of current Republic of South Sudan President Kiir Mayar. His service of being a loyal soldier made him achieved the rank of a shield seven captain. He was later on promoted to the rank of Major but decided to leave the army, after the 2005 peace deal that granted the region a decree of autonomy and the 2011 self-determination plebiscite that led to secession.
Isaiah fought two wars, he went back for studies the time he saw his people got the right he took up arm for. He held a BA in business administration from Day Star University and a master degree from Nairobi University, Kenya. At the time of his death, he was serving in South Sudan’s government as a director for administration and finance in the employees’ justice Chamber. Isaiah’s father was a local chief from Pawel Payam in Kongor, Twi County. Chan Awuol was killed by Jallaba for standing up for his people just the way his four sons died.
Late Isaiah Abraham was a concern citizen like any other citizen in South Sudan. He was known for speaking up his mind for anything he believes is right for his country-mate, and in his second last opinion he had this to say:
“Our president is a man with no confidence in himself and the public. My people have suffered under President Kiir and his heartless clique; I have no kind words again against these people. The demonstration we made as people of South Sudan on Monday, not as Northern Bahr El Ghazal people, will go down in history as the beginning of things to come”
Apparently, this is what we believed took Isaiah’s life, because it is evident by this: “On November 21st, 2012 the President security went to Isaiah’s house to investigate him. They showed him a printed article a few days before his assassination”. After his death, the president was quoted saying, “I know it is not the police and security.” Whereas, the Republic of South Sudan Minister for information Dr. Marial Benjamin said: “the ongoing investigation into Isaiah’s death indicated that 70% is assassinations”.
In addition, Wandit, the gentleman who claimed to be erstwhile Republic of South Sudan security agent, had this to say:
“Isaiah Abraham was killed by members of a special protection of president guard unit, called Tiger. What is responsible for his death is his article in which he wrote saying the president must step down. On that fatal night, Isaiah Diing was called out from his home and was made to sit down and then shot in the head. He was shot with only one bullet. He was killed by another Dinka, his tribe people. The murdering people made sure that national security was not patrolling at night in that particular area of Gudele”.
According to Sudan Tribune December 11, 2012, “South Sudan’s minister of interior, Alison Manana Magaya, has admitted that “elements” in the nation’s security agency are involved in crimes in the capital, Juba. There are some elements within the police and other organised forces who commit crimes”
Reading at our President, Minister for information and Minister for interior mix messages, you would be left scratching your head and probably say what is what now? You be the judge.
Explicitly, opinion is always an opinion. It does not kill! Isaiah was writing as an individual and calling president to resign was not a threat to Kiir or president’s clique he mentioned. President holds public position and deserves talk about, whether good or bad. It was an opinion that has to be disputed in the similar manner and worth not taking veteran innocent life.
We all see our country overwhelms by social insecurity, that is characterised by rampant corruption, poor policing, muggings, extortions, insecurity, cattle-rustling, land grabbing, poor health and education, poor infrastructure, strikes in Juba, Bortown and Western Bahr el Ghazal. Given all these vices, we all have citizenry rights to write and talk about the government leading us and Isaiah was doing exactly that. Why killed him?
The Western countries we see developing day and night do not just happen from the blue. It is through collection of different perspectives, opinions included. In South Sudan instead of envisaging on people like late Isaiah, government is preying on them. How do we expect the country to move forward mister President?
As citizens of Republic of South Sudan, we deserve to be treated with decency and equality. The mandate given to you as President was to carter for all citizens of this country despite where each comes from. Greater Bor and all the people of South Sudan didn’t believe that you were wrongly entrusted for leadership of South Sudan but because of your weakling leadership, our nascent state is at verge of schism which leads to the birth of SPLM-DC and many other factions within SPLM simply because of hatred caused by your government irresponsible sycophants.
Finally, the preceding tactics and strategies to deBorization we in the Republic of South Sudan government have now shifted from unnecessary reshuffling to killing. Greater Bor community is afflicted by this fatuous tagging. However, we are not ready to accept this fratricidal war we being dragged into. And we want to see the end to it as soon as possible. We are appealing to the government, if there is any, to resolve and reverse this disguise of targeting our sons and daughters once and for all, for peace to prevail in this nascent State. We call for an immediate cessation of this hostility towards our people.
In conclusion, we hope to hearing in couples of days that, culprits are brought to justice and charge accordingly, though it won’t make Isaiah come back. We urge the government to collectively nip this dangerous and unwelcome aggressive governance before it festers. As if it wasn’t enough, we understand “investigators are being threatened with text messages, that whoever will reveal the assassins will face the same consequences”. We want to assure you, that we know who killed Isaiah, and we are giving this government a chance, or else we will be forced to take law into our hands and go after the murderers if that investigation yields no fruit.
The undersigned are as follow and we are reachable at [email protected]