Youthful Army Officer Peter Cirilo Swaka | Credit | Unknown

The former governor of Greater Equatoria Region and Anyanya one veteran Peter Cirilo Swaka has passed on after a long illness.

Gen. Peter Cirilo is among the founding leaders of Anyanya One Movement.

During the first civil war in 1965, he fled from Yambio prison and later founded the National Staff of the Anynya movement in July 1967.

After the Addis Ababa Agreement of 1972, he became an army officer, and was among those who objected to the redeployment of Southern forces from South to the North of Sudan in 1974.

Between 1986 and 1987, Peter Cirillo was appointed the military governor of Greater Equatoria during the transitional military government of Abdul el- Rahaman Swar el-dahab.

He was placed under house arrest for about 10 years after Omar al Bashir took over power in Khartoum from 1989.

General Peter Cirillo, brother to General Thomas Cirillo died at his home in Nairobi on Wednesday at the age of 85.

“My father was suffering from diabetes and blood pressure,” his son, Mengisto Peter Cirilo, told Eye Radio on Thursday.

“He was operated in his throat and just staying at home. He died suddenly in Kileleshwa residential area.”

General Peter Cirillo is expected to be buried at Rajaf family cemetery in Juba.