Mabior Garang De Mabior - Courtesy

Mabior Garang de Mabior, son of the late Dr. John Garang says no one community can lay sole claim to the South Sudanese liberation struggle, spanning from 1947 to 2005.

In a statement provided to Eye Radio on the commemoration of SPLA Day, Thursday, May 16, 2024, Mabior expressed concern over the tribalization of history, noting that it has led some communities to feel excluded from the narrative of liberation glory.

He asserts that the armed struggle undertaken by the SPLA/SPLM from 1983 to 2005 represented the culmination of generations of resistance, spanning from the battles against slavery and colonialism to the contemporary struggle for liberation against neo-colonial forces.

“What happened? Why has May 16th become such a controversial date? It is controversial because everything has become hyper-tribalized in our country to the extent that even history has become tribalized,” lamented Mabior.

“Some communities feel left out of the glory of the liberation when we tribalize history. The significance of May 16th must be understood in its proper historical context for all our people to see themselves reflected in it,” he said.

“The armed struggle waged by the SPLA/SPLM from 1983 to 2005 was the maturation of generations of struggle, from the anti-slavery and anti-colonial wars to the fight for liberation against neo-colonialism in these modern times.

“It has been a collective effort involving all our communities, and no single community can claim ownership of this history.

“The modern political thought of South Sudan traces its roots back to the Juba Conference of 1947, which convened delegates from all over South Sudan, like Both Diew and many others. This conference led to the formation of the Liberal Party in 1953, headed by Hon. Paulo Logali.”

“The party advocated for federalism in Khartoum so that the peoples of Southern Sudan could have a voice within the Sudan at independence”.