Garang Aher,

It is always good to mobilize your people toward a better future. But the worst form of mobilization is to set them against some individuals or other communities based on false and distorted facts.

Let me briefly tell you a few things about John Garang and his home district, Bor. If John Garang did not personalize the troops, where else do you think he had taken them to. John Garang himself has failed to help his own people (Bor). The murle cattle rustlers kidnappers and the 1991 massacre can tell you how he failed to help. How many times has he visited Bor district? I mean you should not attack Dr. Garang as if he is only neglecting Aweil people alone. Starting with Kuot Atem to Arok Thon to Majier Gai, these are guys from Bor who were eliminated mysteriously. Yet Bor's contribution in the SPLA is never appreciated, even though the Koryom Battalion was mainly Bor citizens. In return, what they get in place of their fallen heroes is a brand name "cowards" or "cowardice community" yet more than 90 percent of Koryom have bravely died through the guns of Arabs. And most districts in BG and Uppernile have similar complains to make.

Garang Aher, there is a particular trend that you usually debate and I am one of the people who is not comfortable with that direction. Even though you direct your message to your fellow Awelians, I see some terms misplaced and I think you should rethink about that stance. I mean why do you always talk of Aweil people as people who should redefine themselves ? Why do you think they consider themselves low as compared to other people? What is it that they lacked or perceived to be lacking by others? Nothing. If you are in such a mental state, please do not think that other Aweil people are in your shoes. You can encourage them to educate their kids or do more than before but saying the non existent phenomenon is usually not forth coming.

I recommend anyone who does not know the history of SPLA and how they strategized their war against Arabs to seek knowledge about such history from those who are well conversant with it. It will be amazing to know that almost every SPLA soldier died in a 'foreign' land. Without such strategies, SPLA would not be existing today and no one would be jubilated by the current peace. Let's think beyond our districts, tribal lines and let's bring a bigger picture of South Sudan. In doing so, we will all know that our heroes did not die invain.

Mayom.

Garang Aher,

You tell the Aweil people to redefine themselves from what? How did they use to define themselves before and what new definition do you want them to have now? Self-recovery in what way? Myths? Who in Aweil believes in myths apart from you?

Mayikaher, sometime you make me ask myself a lot of questions. You lower aweil people so low and even those who do not know Aweil and its residents would have some negative attitude toward Aweil or if s/he is good at heart, s/he will tend to sympathize. But what is it ya Garang Aher that the people of Aweil do not know or do. What is it that you want to teach them that none knew before? There were/are many great leaders in Aweil and even in the SPLA, their leadership is of magnificient advantage to all southerners. Let me take you to Kakuma and give you and example of Malong-dit who was the local 'judge' of the entire Dinka community. His wisdom accompanied by his will to serve his people made him the most famous 'judge' in Kakuma. Yet he hails from Aweil. Maybe you will name him Bior Mayom to make him look like he was "imported" from "abroad". Group 6 that most of you came to visit was headed from top to bottom by Aweil folks, I suppose you will call them appointees of Deng Dau or something closer to that. Now where does this issue of transporting leadership from others come from? Back home in Aweil district are all the commissioner, chiefs etc "imported" people who are not citizens of Aweil? Mayikaher, you are just missing the direction. I believe your mental instability has incapacitated you to an extent of believing that every citizen of Aweil feels the way you feel.

As I said before, you can encourage Aweil people to do better. To produce better leaders. judges professors etc. There is nothing wrong with such encouragement. But creating situations that are non existent or localizing a condition that is/was faced by all southerners is not the best way to go.

Mayikaher,

Sorry dude. I did not intend to annoy you. I just felt moved and some things were just flowing out of my mind.

But the fact should remain as it is. Throwing the entire Aweil people at the bottom of the list is in itself a demotion that is stronger than the message that you might want to convey. Besides, you have just acknowledged that Aweil people have their own leaders. Then why did you invent the idea of importing leaders from other districts? I hope we will have the opportunity to sit face to face and discuss all the issues that you might want us to discuss. But for now, let's acknowledge the fact that Aweil people and their community is not the way you want others to conceive them. They were not accorded different treatment from other communities and they are still instrumental in all aspects of life. All you, I and everybody should do is to encourage them to do better. I will stop here without going any further.

Dear Garang Aher and Mr.Mayom Bul,

 

At first, I did not see this topic worth any discussions. However, as your debate over the issues concerning Aweil goes-on-and-on, I thought it is necessary to drop a word or two, in what I hope might help to bring this topic to an end (at least from this website). I am aware you might have one time been colleagues at Schools, or at Kakuma’s Refugee Camps, as implied by the way you addresses each other (even at gurtong.net).

 

First, to Garang Aher,

 

Mayom Bul is right to say to you whatever he had said to you in particular (albeit with my deep regrets to the phrases such as “mental incapacity” in his comments. He was also right in what he had to say about Aweil in general. He (Mayom) reserves the right to do that, even in the future, if the matters you had wanted the peoples of Aweil to discuss/learn in order to rise to what you have thought and learnt to be the standard expected of a “wise” and “frank” community like that of Aweil were to remain at the discretion of any willing person/community’s discussions. As someone who was also born and raised in Aweil (probably 2 generations older than you), I do not think Aweil had any big problem unique to itself, so as to invites such discussion at this time. If any, then Aweil like its counterparts (other areas) all needs some works in order to come to “nation-building” stage or rise above the abyss of political immaturity the South had, alas seen , for time immemorial. Building nation is not  dominating/dominated or retaliations for being dominated etc, it is about respect for the nationhood and to its inhabitants irrespective of race, religion, and clan . Otherwise Rwanda, is a good example – do we need that? Of course not. So my advice to you is that, Mading-Aweil net as you might be aware, had its discussion board strictly for the people of Aweil. This one is a “public discussion’s forum” for general matters of Aweil and that of South Sudan in general. Tactics are not discuss/needed in public.

 

 Mayom Bul,

 

Though, I have never met you in person, it is in my sincere belief that I had known you for so long – having met you through website discussion boards. However, let me welcome you to this site on my own behalf (though belated). It is also in my belief, people like you who good intentions and courage to joins Mading-Aweil discussion boards, who do not necessarily hails from Aweil, must be applauded and looked after, for having done that. This kind of moves may in the long run tend to be a “unifying factor” for the scattered peoples/tribes of South Sudan, who has in the long years of war seems to have develops the attitudes of abhorrence to each other, than any time in the history of our struggle. But, I must warn against one practice – Aweil had no problem with any region in the South. If any, then Aweil deserves the right to sort out its own problems, without necessarily being monitored or spied at. Not any known history, did Aweil (albeit the most generous and frank nation) gives way to its enemies, whatsoever – the known history of Malawal-geirnyang and Bagara’s conflict over Kiir Adem is a good example. So, your concern is genuine, Aweil is not marginalized by any tribes in the South – it was like its sisters in the South, marginalized by the Arab elite successive regimes in Khartoum. If the domination is to shift to be amongst Southern themselves, then Aweil had a capability to retake the freedom she had fought for, from anybody, any community in the South. She did not in return, had any intention to dominate any community – you were clear in this regards I must confess.

 

Concerning your stand in the Tiny Joker I’s comments in the other topic, it was not fair comments at all. Tiny Joker I as his/her name imply, thinks the people of Aweil are “naïve” because they have allowed him to participate in discussion anonymously and can insult/ calls anybody name/names with impunity. He does know he was allowed for the purpose, he himself did not appreciate. I do not response to anonymous writers, but I had though such a person/cow does not have any community to stand with him/her. As I knew Dinka’s tradition, if the said thing is a human being form some clan of Dinka, I bet the community where he/she hails from, will be doing something to deter him from his evil intentions against other communities. He/she had once labelled the people of Bhar El Gazal as “Animals” to dismay of the expectations of the whole intellectuals, be they from Aweil/Bor etc. Garang Aher, is not in Tiny Joker’s calibre for that matter. To see someone like you tempering with the standard expected of an intellectual individual like you, is not only “queer” but also “unbecoming” , I must confess. You, have a future and potentials – and it is unfortunate to stand with such a malicious thing i.e Tiny Joker.

 

By the way, Garang-Mayiik Aher is not an stranger or  a “War-time” made leader/or would be leader, he (Mayiik) hails from a well-respected noble family of Aweil Area. His late father Sultan Aher Arol was renowned for his courage, generosity, and wisdom, not only in Aweil area, but in other areas of the South too. He was amongst the peoples whose family loss in this war alone overweight the number of their surviving members of families, to celebrate the recent peace agreement. His dad Aher Arol took to the SPLA, prior to his death, more than 20 boys and were all trained and fought in this war. Mayik and Dhor were amongst those of Aher’s family who went to trained – thank God they are alive today. Other Aher’s good deeds for the South ‘inter alia, his participation in the Anya Nya Army, are incalculable and therefore, would want to falls out of the remit of my writing here.

 

In conclusion, my advise to you, is that when discussing with Mayiik, please try to avoid asking him the questions, like who are you !! etc. As the brief biography of his father seems to suggest, Mayiik had a potentials to command a significant number of peoples in Aweil, and therefore, cannot be ignored. If the South is really looking forward into achieving the “representative democracy” such as the one prevailing in Britain today, I bet you try to maintain your relationship with him (if you strives for the leadership of the South). Otherwise, then you might be right- I hope my advice does not offend any one, and therefore regrets any inconvenience caused. My words are my own and do not represent Aweil’s general public opinion.

 

Kind Regards.

 

Ateny Wekdit,

United Kingdom.

Dear Mayom Bul,

 

I hope there is no bad feeling brother. My comments were just an opinion, not meant to discriminate anybody. However, to answer you correctly, I beg to start answering you from the bottom of your response. Of course not brother Mayom, your participations in Mading-Aweil’s public discussion board, is part of what I have said, it is worth applauding and also must be encourages. Mading-Aweil loves its guests than itself – that is why it is taken for granted, by some people, sometimes. And, so I had no intend to remind you, because you do not come from Aweil. If any, then I must thank you for joining us. www.madingaweil.com is a world website, which could by access by any body, anywhere. Even if you were to remain unregistered member with us, I am sure you could still be accessing it, and if necessary, you could may be “monitoring” or “spying”, beyond your PC if this what you had intended. My uses of these two words was not intended for annoying you, I beg your pardon, if you read it wrong. I meant Tiny Joker I or II both of whom, in my understanding do not exist in flesh, he/they might be ghosts, because they chooses to withheld their names. So, I was shock when I saw someone of your calibre addressing it, as if it was real – that was the point of my contentions here, no bad feeling against you at all.

 

Spying or Monitoring, were of course not intended for you. I was sending a message to those who had thought to be fooling Aweil, by sending their derogative views against our people anonymously, thinking they are sophisticated.

 

Garang Aher’s family background, was just for your information as well as other readers, who might not have had any chance to know who Mayiik is, as your question seems to imply. I know any body had a family, and would say he/she had a nice family when asked, but since it is a common ground that people are not the same, it is worthy explanation. I have no doubt you had your family, but not any question was asked pertaining to who you are, so as to invite that. Again, when I said that Mayiik may command a significant majority in future, I was not trying to tell you to bribe him by condoning whatever opinion he had to say, which you may not accept to condone, had he came from other background. Rather, I did want you to take him for his word, he is not just barking, he represent some voices, which he might be assuming a duty of care to them. I do not myself, want to worship people – I say what I think is right to say. Whilst, I must accept the fact that your participation in this net, is of good intentions, I hope you are not hurt at all. I want your free participations to continue, as long as this website prevails. We care about other people’s opinion about any issue, that requires solutions - that is why ghoast like Tiny Joker I still retains his membership. So your participation, is not only brotherly, it is one step towards building the Southern nationhood – I am sure some people out there, may like this website, but they may feel jealous to join its discussion forum, because its bear the name Aweil. Otherwise Mading-Aweil website does provides the services similar to that of gurtong for all interested Southerners, wherever they may be – so your moves to joins Aweil is very wise. Do not feel discriminated, I beg your pardon.

 

Kind Regards.

 

Ateny Wekdit