Dr. John Garang de Mabior, founder of the SPLM/A, former Vice President of Sudan, and President of Southern Sudan. (Courtesy)

JUBA, South Sudan (Eye Radio) – Twenty years after his father’s passing, Mabior Garang describes Dr. John Garang de Mabior as “the most quoted, and the least understood, leader in our history.”

In a poignant reflection released on July 30, 2025, Mabior calls for a rekindling of the “New Sudan Vision” as the only path to national prosperity and stability.

He highlights how some exploit his father’s name for political gain and how detractors still fight him in his grave, even as the people for whom he made the ultimate sacrifice continue to deeply admire him.

The former cabinet minister is urging the South Sudanese public to move beyond political squabbles and truly understand the vision of unity that his father and the Martyrs died for.

Mabior Garang reflected on the chilling moment his father’s aircraft went off radar in 2005, a loss that brought immense hardship and left him questioning how the nation would survive.

He asserts that Dr. John Garang remains the “most quoted, and the least understood, leader in our history,” with his name often used for political gain or still “fought in his grave” by detractors, despite being deeply admired by the people for whom he made the ultimate sacrifice. 

Understanding the New Sudan Vision: Unity, Not Division

Mabior emphasized that the best way to honour Dr. John Garang and all fallen heroes on Martyrs’ Day is to grasp the core of the New Sudan Vision: unity.

He clarified that there is no contradiction between unity and the country’s secession. According to Mabior, the SPLA/SPLM was never a separatist movement; its original objective was a united, democratic, and secular Sudan.

“Secession became inevitable only because the National Islamic Front (NIF) regime failed to make unity an attractive option—a failure that continues to fuel instability in North Sudan today,” Mabior stated.

He criticized traditional elites for failing to understand this vision, often reducing it to a simplistic “unity vs. separation” argument.

Mabior argues that the New Sudan Vision remains highly relevant, offering a framework for resolving modern contradictions in power sharing, wealth sharing, and building a just society.

He stressed that unity must be the foundation of the modern South Sudanese state.

“Misunderstanding secession as a separatist ideology, rather than a process that could lead to unity, has unfortunately divided the foundation of nationhood, leading to devastating consequences,” He said.

A Call for Honest Conversation and a United Future

Mabior warned that the sectarian politics tearing communities apart are a direct result of building national identity on the idea of separation.

This divisive mindset, he noted, threatens to split families at their core, leading to a continuous breakdown until “there is nothing left to divide.”

As South Sudanese remember their heroes this Martyrs Day, Mabior urged an honest national conversation about the true meaning of the New Sudan Vision.

He called for an end to reducing the liberation struggle’s legacy to a “futile competition to control it as a political brand.”

Instead, he implored citizens to draw inspiration from that vision and come together as one people. “Only through unity can we lay a strong foundation for the welfare and prosperity of our people and the future of our nation,”

Mabior concluded, reiterating: “Fellow countrymen and women, we must be united!”