South Sudan celebrated its Veteran’s Day on Monday, marking the 59th anniversary of the start of the first Sudanese Civil War.
That war, known in South Sudan as the Anyanya One Movement, began on 18 August 1955 and was instigated by the Torit Mutineers and ended in 1972. South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011, following a peace agreement that ended the second civil war of 1983-2005.
In Juba, veterans and politicians gathered at the John Garang Freedom Square for commemoration under the theme “Veterans are the Founders of our Freedom.”
The events were attended by the Vice President and various cabinet ministers.
Solomon Deng, representing the veterans, said that the Anyanya One Movement was fought for the liberation of South Sudan, not for positions of power.
“Those of us who fought the two wars-Anyanya-[are] surprised to see that people are fighting now for positions while we are last time fighting for no position,” he said.
“It is our time for all of us to put our difference and interests aside and use all our energies and abilities to [use] our resources for the development of the country,” he said.
Mama Nyandeng Kambino Kuanyin Bol, the wife of the SPLA veteran Kambino Kuanyin Bol, said that South Sudan achieved independence because of the Anyanya One struggle.
However, Nyandeng admonished current leaders of the SPLA for failing to introduce gender equity and for not paying or feeding soldiers well enough.
Nyandeng said there should be more representation of women in high ranks of the army. She urged top officials to do a better job of looking after the welfare of the soldiers, pointing out that soldiers looked weak in the parade and were collapsing.
She may have been referring to fainting of soldiers, which sometimes occurs at formal parade occassions.
“Comrade Paul Malong-SPLA chief: feed your soldiers well,” she said. “Gen Kuol Manyang Juuk, Minister, I wanted to tell you give food to our soldiers, so that they will not go and drink alcohol.”
Nyandeng urged rebel leader Riek Machar to wait for elections to vie for power. She said any South Sudanese citizen who wants power must do so through peaceful means.
Radio Tamazuj photo: Anyanya One veterans at the John Garang Freedom Square on 18 August.
For breaking news updates from Radio Tamazuj ‘like’ our page on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or subscribe to our RSS feed.