When I was a child in our village in Twic Mayardit County, I knew only three people: the Dinka, my cousins, the nearby Nuer, and the Arabs, who dominated all of Sudan; at that time, we were one country, but one which offered little hope or security to those of us who were not Arab. When my father took me to Khartoum, I was amazed when I saw the Ethiopian refugees in Kosti, Sudan, in December 1984; I was surprised; I thought they were Arabs. I didn’t know that they ran away from their country; however, several months later, when Jafaar Nimeri was overthrown in April 1985 after a bloodless military coup, my father decided to return me to the village. Soon after my visit, the Arab militias intensified their raids in northern Bahr el Ghazal. I ended up fleeing, trekking the length of South Sudan, and joining the SPLA/M in the refugee camps in Ethiopia.
Looking back on that arduous trip, I realize that it was, in some ways, a great gift to me. I discovered the diversity that is South Sudan. In those camps, I met not just other Dinka from other regions but more Nuer and members of many tribes. I learned that South Sudan has sixty-four tribes and others; we are a lovely mosaic.
The struggle for independence was not easy, and it took many years. Let us be honest: many thought that some form of confederation with Sudan might be a better result than independence. However, it became sadly apparent that the North would not stop commandeering our resources, especially our oil and our water, for its benefit. It also became clear that Khartoum would not stop those militias that were not only stealing Dinka and Nuer’s cattle but were also killing our men and stealing our women and children to enslave them.
When peace was achieved, it was left to us, the people of South Sudan, to vote. On 9 January 2011, we voted overwhelmingly for independence. No matter where we were, at home or in diaspora, no matter which region we lived in, no matter which tribe we represented, We voted for independence. On 9 July that year, just thirteen years ago, our freedom was proclaimed. Our flag was raised not just in Juba but across the country and worldwide. It was a day that we must never forget.
It was a moment that we should always celebrate. And in that celebration, we must never forget that it was not one faction, tribe, or region but all of us who decided that we wanted and deserved our motherland, our own South Sudan.
Long live the people of South Sudan. Long live the unity of our societies—one Nation for many US.
Happy Thirteen Anniversary of South Sudan’s Independence.
~by Deng Mayik Atem
