The Red Army of South Sudan in perspective

[Elisabeth Janaina]

The Red Army of South Sudan in perspective

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By Steve Paterno

The Red Army, popularly known as the Lost Boys and Girls of South
Sudan has of late being grabbing news headlines for all the wrong
reasons. At the centre of this controversy of news headlining is
Rebecca Nyandeng, the widow of Sudan People’s Liberation Army/Movement
(SPLA/M) leader and founder, Dr John Garang. Mrs Nyandeng who is a
stalwart of opposition against the government of South Sudan is on a
campaign tour in the USA. The embattled widow was recently caught on
al-Jeezera interview totally unprepared to answer rather simple but
yet convoluted human rights questions with respect to her husband’s
records, who led the successful liberation struggle.

In yet, the latest blunder, Mrs Nyandeng who is gaining infamy with
her zealous criticism of President Salva Kiir was pressed hard on the
issue of conscription of child soldiers, during her husband’s reign in
the liberation struggle, and into which, she egregiously responded,
the “Human Rights Watch report was not correct because…, children came
with their parents and some of them just followed the army because
sometimes when they go with the army they can find better services;
food and things like that because we were in the bush. Some of the
children even leave their parents and they followed the army. There
was no official recruitment which was being done.” The question or the
topic is perhaps too sophisticated for someone with the intellectual
ilk of Mrs. Nyandeng, especially when she barely has time to digest
the question, hence, attributing to her appalling response. Either
that or it is just a sheer dishonesty from her part.

The so-called Red Army (or Jesh al-Ahmer also known as the Lost Boys
and Girls of South Sudan) was a section of SPLA soldiers, who were
exclusively composed of minors. Their history in the liberation
struggle is not any different from those adults who ended up being
soldiers of the SPLA in one way or the other. The pattern for becoming
SPLA fighter, regardless of one’s age, generally followed
conscription, enlistment, cajoling, or even by default.

Like many liberation struggles from around the world, the bulk of SPLA
soldiers were made up of conscripts. Many people were rounded up
compulsorily and without consent to join the fight. As a matter of
fact, such practice rarely discriminated people base on age limits. It
was the physically appearance and ability, which determines one’s
qualification for conscription. The circumstances were actually
exacerbated due to the fact that it was virtually impossible to
ascertain ages of people since birth records were none existence.
Then, there were folks who willingly joined the liberation struggle.
Those category included minors as well. For an organisation that its
support base is the people and their willingness to sacrifice, it was
naturally impossible to reject those who voluntarily joined, despite
their tender ages. And then, there were also those who were lured by
prospect of better services such as education, shelter, feeding,
health, security etc. During the devastating war of liberation, people
were forced to corrugate under the den, in towns ran by the brutal
regime in Khartoum. Others had no choice, but to flee into exile. And
then, others ended up under SPLA liberated areas, where, therefore,
the military training centres were better potentials for most Jesh
al-Ahmer. Even more enticing, the SPLM political commissars, (the
cadre trained as ideological propagandists and liars), made those
training grounds more alluring factory for fighting force coming out
of age. And finally, there were those who became SPLA soldiers by
default. (I mean literally by default). Those in most cases were
relatives of the commanders or soldiers, who in words of Mrs Nyandeng,
“followed the army.” They were in most part, privileged individuals
who received little to no formal military training at all. They
avoided major deployments and remained in the rear for the most
duration. They were the children of the benys who followed the
soldiers for better services that Mrs Nyandeng referred to in her
appalling statement as she tried to deflect the question of child
soldiers’ conscription.

Therefore, the highlights above and many more constituted the
composition of the popular Red Army of SPLA under the SPLA/M guidance,
and yes, under the “official recruitment” rules and regulations of the
movement that was led by Mrs Nyandeng’s husband, Dr. John Garang. Many
of these Red Army soldiers were organised into exclusive or mixed
units. They experienced deployments in frontlines. When they aimed at
the enemies, they did so with intentions to kill. They bleed blood
once shot at. They also died just like any other mortal being. And
yes, they bore all the brant of horrors of the war more than the
adults and of course, they endured. Their training centres were
sources, which compelled humanitarian aid to the SPLA/M liberated
areas. So, in actual fact, they never followed food, but the food
rather followed them. In large scheme of things, the Red Army of the
SPLA were not just the lethal fighting force, they were the hub of
reserved force for the battles of the future. They were the pool by
which future recruits were gathered from. Their strategic presence and
significance can never be simply brushed aside in such a desperate
effort of trying to defend the records of an individual leader, in the
case of her husband. If those who fought in the liberation struggle
are being recognised today as heroes, the Red Army of South Sudan
genuinely deserves a place in history, due to their contributions and
selfless sacrifices. Their records in the liberation of the country
are as just impeccable.

Steve Paterno is the author of The Rev. Fr. Saturnino Lohure, A Romain
Catholic Priest Turned Rebel. He can be reached at
stevep...@yahoo.com