Rebecca Garang criticized over remarks on child soldiers
2 views
Skip to first unread message
Elisabeth Janaina
Feb 28, 2017, 11:34:56 AM2/28/17
to southsudankob
Rebecca Garang criticized over remarks on child soldiers
Article
Comments (12)
email Email
print Print
pdfSave
separation
increase
decrease
separation
separation
February 28, 2017 (JUBA) – Rebecca Garang, widow of South Sudan’s
ruling party (SPLM) founder, John Garang has been criticized after she
was quoted saying under-age children who fought Sudan’s long civil war
followed adult “soldiers for better services like food.”
JPEG - 21 kb
Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior (ST File Photo)
In an interview with Al Jazeera UpFront program on Friday, Garang
accused South Sudanese President Salva Kiir of allegedly using
soldiers from the Dinka tribe to commit atrocities on other ethnic
groupings and called on him to step down.
She also rejected a previous Human Rights Watch report, which
implicated her husband John Garang for using child soldiers during the
over two-decade civil war.
“This was a liberation struggle. We were at war. The country, South
Sudan is very vast, is a big country. Dr. John [Garang] tried to
command the army. Some small things can happen under his watch but
when he hears about it, he has to do something about it,” said
Nyandeng.
“It [Human Rights Watch report] was not correct because I am there.
I’m a mother and I have my children,” she said.
When pressed about the children among the soldiers, Nyandeng admitted,
but justified the presence of the child soldiers as a necessity.
“They 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,” she
said.
She said the children were not given guns and there were no schools
for them to attend, an explanation that former child soldiers
rejected.
Mading Akueth, a former child soldier in the Red Army, accused
Nyandeng of being dishonest.
“Why should I walk all the way to [from Bor in South Sudan to]
Ethiopia to get soldiers’ food? Where were soldiers getting a lot of
food?,” he wrote on Facebook.
Mading said he was one of thousands of children recruited from Bor
villages in 1987 by the SPLA/M leaders led by current Minister of
Defense Kuol Manyang Juuk with full knowledge of John Garang. In that
1987 child soldiers recruitment, each village chief contributed three
children – in what became known as ‘Buluk ke diar’ – a Dinka
connotation of the for the exercise that translates as ‘head chief for
three.’
Another former child soldier Naqib Invictus Chuti said they were
abused during the liberation and were often called “thieves” by
commanders and their families.
“Nyandeng’s comment is a deeply rooted sentiment toward jesh amer that
dated back to 1980s; the days they look them on down,” Chuti wrote.
He added that the children were forced to hard labor to generate money
that supported SPLM/A leaders’ families – including John Garang rented
house in Kenya.
Forpeace Agany, another South Sudanese claimed his brother was among
the recruited child soldiers.
“My brother left hundreds of cattle just to look for food? I doubt the
mother of the nation,” said Agany Forpeace, in reference to Nyandeng.
Some South Sudanese citizens, however, think Nyandeng was quoted out of context.
“I believe she was talking on general services including shelter,
shielded, protection, direction and food as well. I don’t know why
people picking up the word food only, instead of services?,” one
Panchol Jook wrote.
(ST)
Comments on the Sudan Tribune website must abide by the following
rules. Contravention of these rules will lead to the user losing their
Sudan Tribune account with immediate effect.
- No inciting violence
- No inappropriate or offensive language
- No racism, tribalism or sectarianism
- No inappropriate or derogatory remarks
- No deviation from the topic of the article
- No advertising, spamming or links
- No incomprehensible comments
Due to the unprecedented amount of racist and offensive language on
the site, Sudan Tribune tries to vet all comments on the site.
There is now also a limit of 400 words per comment. If you want to
express yourself in more detail than this allows, please e-mail your
comment as an article to com...@sudantribune.com
Kind regards,
The Sudan Tribune editorial team.
28 February 09:43, by Eastern
Mrs. Garang is being brutally honest here. During Dr. Garang’s
SPLA war with the successive Khartoum based regime, everything in the
"liberated" areas was for his soldiers of the SPLA: a large portion of
humantarian relief food for the civilians was diverted to the multiple
"front lines". Mrs. Garang is right, the army was prioritised for food
and medicines!!!!!
repondre message
28 February 09:47, by Eastern
Many child soldiers from Nuba mountains and Blue Nile had to
survive on wild fruits, lizard, etc for food as a result many died and
their corpses eaten by scavengers. Nobody in SPLA/SPLM wants or has
the guts to talk about these facts! SPLA/SPLM will want to continue to
delude the world that it’s a clean organisation. What a lie!
repondre message
28 February 15:04, by Joyuma John
Ya, jes amer, let us take it easy, Nyandeng was running out of
ideas from Al jazera journalist, we went to the bush to serve the
nation not because of food as such, SPLA was getting food from our
parents not red army was get food from the SPLA . And for it to be
very easy, Nyandeng should apologize to red army.
repondre message
28 February 09:52, by Kush Natives
Look how would this an idiot called herself a politician, while
bypassing the records keeping? Where in a world could somebody forget
that she was the number 1 child soldiers recruiter? Is this really
Nyandeng Mabior or is it different one? If Late Dr. Garang hosted 44+
thousands of children from age 0-8 in three different locations in
1986-93, then what kinds of a history that she’s trying__con
repondre message
28 February 10:02, by Kush Natives
___to make out here? Three locations were full of minors,
Tharpaam, Dima and Fugnido camps, all those kids were kidnapped from
their parents in few following regions in South Sudan. a) Bhar El
Ghazal b) Jonglei c) Western Upper Nile-mainly from Panrieng. If this
is what you’re trying (Nyandeng) to cover up, then you’re completely
detected, and you will be tried for child abduction!
repondre message
28 February 10:12, by Kush Natives
So, for your unfound allegation, there’s no child soldier in our
Army/SPLA. I think you meant White Army whom were just attracted by
looting ideals. First, you owed me and the rest of South Sudanese kids
who were abducted in 1986-1995! Most of those kids ended up in Kapoita
in 1995 offensive. 1,300 boys were taken from Tharpaam base into
Equatoria intentionally to be equips and attack Kapoita.
repondre message
28 February 12:25, by DHARCHEP
Nyandeng,you are nothing to South Sudanese.I joined the SPLA/SPLM
when I was 9 years old.Does it mean to me that I was following the
SPLA because of food? In 1991, Jech Amer fought your boyfriend Riek
Machar in Bor.Why you did not complaint bitch? Leave SPLA alone and go
back and fuck Riek Machar.You do need a man actually to straight you
up. I respect my leader John Garang because he taught me.
repondre message
28 February 12:31, by Ater
I blame the media for glorifying this stupid lady.she is just damn
fucking woman who don’t realize her obnoxious move.
repondre message
28 February 12:34, by DHARCHEP
Nyandeng, you are the dump bitch woman I never seen in my life.
Who is Riek Machar? When Riek Machar commit massacre in Bor and
Mongala, where those people who were killed by Riek Machar from Nuer
or from Bor tribe? Nyandeng, I think you bear your children through
your ass not through your vagina. If it was your vagina, you should
understand the pain when your child was killed
repondre message
28 February 15:01, by nuer food lovers
Dharchep you are the stupid of all, you never even attended a
training camp, you just left wichok for tongadol in 1993 shortly after
Riek machar defectiion for Kakuma. I know you from your toes to ur
hair, we departed when you were leading Adok and I headed to Barh el
gazal and end up in Equatoria, Nyandeng dit knows what she is talking
of, this question of child soldiers, Garang had been answerin
repondre message
28 February 15:09, by nuer food lovers
Garang demobizise thousand of child soldiers, opening up
the camp in Palataka in Eastern Equatoria, Panawach in Rumbek, Moroto
or mangalatore in Central Equatoria, and Unicef witness that fact, you
guys in western world are totally confuse, pls, stop abusing Nyandeng
dit, tell me Mr. Dharchep which traing did you joined? When our
parents joined SPLA including ur uncle who brought u up in the absen
repondre message
28 February 14:26, by Maguto
Dear all
This should not be taken seriously, Nyandengdit is out of mind and
I advice u not TO insult her deeply likely THAT ...if you talk of her
vagina then you insulting you mother vagina too....respect
first....sorry, she is to be condemn of her mistake only
Article
Comments (12)
email Email
print Print
pdfSave
separation
increase
decrease
separation
separation
February 28, 2017 (JUBA) – Rebecca Garang, widow of South Sudan’s
ruling party (SPLM) founder, John Garang has been criticized after she
was quoted saying under-age children who fought Sudan’s long civil war
followed adult “soldiers for better services like food.”
JPEG - 21 kb
Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior (ST File Photo)
In an interview with Al Jazeera UpFront program on Friday, Garang
accused South Sudanese President Salva Kiir of allegedly using
soldiers from the Dinka tribe to commit atrocities on other ethnic
groupings and called on him to step down.
She also rejected a previous Human Rights Watch report, which
implicated her husband John Garang for using child soldiers during the
over two-decade civil war.
“This was a liberation struggle. We were at war. The country, South
Sudan is very vast, is a big country. Dr. John [Garang] tried to
command the army. Some small things can happen under his watch but
when he hears about it, he has to do something about it,” said
Nyandeng.
“It [Human Rights Watch report] was not correct because I am there.
I’m a mother and I have my children,” she said.
When pressed about the children among the soldiers, Nyandeng admitted,
but justified the presence of the child soldiers as a necessity.
“They 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,” she
said.
She said the children were not given guns and there were no schools
for them to attend, an explanation that former child soldiers
rejected.
Mading Akueth, a former child soldier in the Red Army, accused
Nyandeng of being dishonest.
“Why should I walk all the way to [from Bor in South Sudan to]
Ethiopia to get soldiers’ food? Where were soldiers getting a lot of
food?,” he wrote on Facebook.
Mading said he was one of thousands of children recruited from Bor
villages in 1987 by the SPLA/M leaders led by current Minister of
Defense Kuol Manyang Juuk with full knowledge of John Garang. In that
1987 child soldiers recruitment, each village chief contributed three
children – in what became known as ‘Buluk ke diar’ – a Dinka
connotation of the for the exercise that translates as ‘head chief for
three.’
Another former child soldier Naqib Invictus Chuti said they were
abused during the liberation and were often called “thieves” by
commanders and their families.
“Nyandeng’s comment is a deeply rooted sentiment toward jesh amer that
dated back to 1980s; the days they look them on down,” Chuti wrote.
He added that the children were forced to hard labor to generate money
that supported SPLM/A leaders’ families – including John Garang rented
house in Kenya.
Forpeace Agany, another South Sudanese claimed his brother was among
the recruited child soldiers.
“My brother left hundreds of cattle just to look for food? I doubt the
mother of the nation,” said Agany Forpeace, in reference to Nyandeng.
Some South Sudanese citizens, however, think Nyandeng was quoted out of context.
“I believe she was talking on general services including shelter,
shielded, protection, direction and food as well. I don’t know why
people picking up the word food only, instead of services?,” one
Panchol Jook wrote.
(ST)
Comments on the Sudan Tribune website must abide by the following
rules. Contravention of these rules will lead to the user losing their
Sudan Tribune account with immediate effect.
- No inciting violence
- No inappropriate or offensive language
- No racism, tribalism or sectarianism
- No inappropriate or derogatory remarks
- No deviation from the topic of the article
- No advertising, spamming or links
- No incomprehensible comments
Due to the unprecedented amount of racist and offensive language on
the site, Sudan Tribune tries to vet all comments on the site.
There is now also a limit of 400 words per comment. If you want to
express yourself in more detail than this allows, please e-mail your
comment as an article to com...@sudantribune.com
Kind regards,
The Sudan Tribune editorial team.
28 February 09:43, by Eastern
Mrs. Garang is being brutally honest here. During Dr. Garang’s
SPLA war with the successive Khartoum based regime, everything in the
"liberated" areas was for his soldiers of the SPLA: a large portion of
humantarian relief food for the civilians was diverted to the multiple
"front lines". Mrs. Garang is right, the army was prioritised for food
and medicines!!!!!
repondre message
28 February 09:47, by Eastern
Many child soldiers from Nuba mountains and Blue Nile had to
survive on wild fruits, lizard, etc for food as a result many died and
their corpses eaten by scavengers. Nobody in SPLA/SPLM wants or has
the guts to talk about these facts! SPLA/SPLM will want to continue to
delude the world that it’s a clean organisation. What a lie!
repondre message
28 February 15:04, by Joyuma John
Ya, jes amer, let us take it easy, Nyandeng was running out of
ideas from Al jazera journalist, we went to the bush to serve the
nation not because of food as such, SPLA was getting food from our
parents not red army was get food from the SPLA . And for it to be
very easy, Nyandeng should apologize to red army.
repondre message
28 February 09:52, by Kush Natives
Look how would this an idiot called herself a politician, while
bypassing the records keeping? Where in a world could somebody forget
that she was the number 1 child soldiers recruiter? Is this really
Nyandeng Mabior or is it different one? If Late Dr. Garang hosted 44+
thousands of children from age 0-8 in three different locations in
1986-93, then what kinds of a history that she’s trying__con
repondre message
28 February 10:02, by Kush Natives
___to make out here? Three locations were full of minors,
Tharpaam, Dima and Fugnido camps, all those kids were kidnapped from
their parents in few following regions in South Sudan. a) Bhar El
Ghazal b) Jonglei c) Western Upper Nile-mainly from Panrieng. If this
is what you’re trying (Nyandeng) to cover up, then you’re completely
detected, and you will be tried for child abduction!
repondre message
28 February 10:12, by Kush Natives
So, for your unfound allegation, there’s no child soldier in our
Army/SPLA. I think you meant White Army whom were just attracted by
looting ideals. First, you owed me and the rest of South Sudanese kids
who were abducted in 1986-1995! Most of those kids ended up in Kapoita
in 1995 offensive. 1,300 boys were taken from Tharpaam base into
Equatoria intentionally to be equips and attack Kapoita.
repondre message
28 February 12:25, by DHARCHEP
Nyandeng,you are nothing to South Sudanese.I joined the SPLA/SPLM
when I was 9 years old.Does it mean to me that I was following the
SPLA because of food? In 1991, Jech Amer fought your boyfriend Riek
Machar in Bor.Why you did not complaint bitch? Leave SPLA alone and go
back and fuck Riek Machar.You do need a man actually to straight you
up. I respect my leader John Garang because he taught me.
repondre message
28 February 12:31, by Ater
I blame the media for glorifying this stupid lady.she is just damn
fucking woman who don’t realize her obnoxious move.
repondre message
28 February 12:34, by DHARCHEP
Nyandeng, you are the dump bitch woman I never seen in my life.
Who is Riek Machar? When Riek Machar commit massacre in Bor and
Mongala, where those people who were killed by Riek Machar from Nuer
or from Bor tribe? Nyandeng, I think you bear your children through
your ass not through your vagina. If it was your vagina, you should
understand the pain when your child was killed
repondre message
28 February 15:01, by nuer food lovers
Dharchep you are the stupid of all, you never even attended a
training camp, you just left wichok for tongadol in 1993 shortly after
Riek machar defectiion for Kakuma. I know you from your toes to ur
hair, we departed when you were leading Adok and I headed to Barh el
gazal and end up in Equatoria, Nyandeng dit knows what she is talking
of, this question of child soldiers, Garang had been answerin
repondre message
28 February 15:09, by nuer food lovers
Garang demobizise thousand of child soldiers, opening up
the camp in Palataka in Eastern Equatoria, Panawach in Rumbek, Moroto
or mangalatore in Central Equatoria, and Unicef witness that fact, you
guys in western world are totally confuse, pls, stop abusing Nyandeng
dit, tell me Mr. Dharchep which traing did you joined? When our
parents joined SPLA including ur uncle who brought u up in the absen
repondre message
28 February 14:26, by Maguto
Dear all
This should not be taken seriously, Nyandengdit is out of mind and
I advice u not TO insult her deeply likely THAT ...if you talk of her
vagina then you insulting you mother vagina too....respect
first....sorry, she is to be condemn of her mistake only
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages