Late Lt. Gen. Bior Ajang Duot, Former Deputy Chief of the South Sudan People's Défense Forces - Courtesy

The nightmares of a spiritual man perceived to be mad were revealed to be a true revelation of disgust and distress about the fade awaiting the Twic East Community “Baobab Tree” in the dark shadows.

A tree that has been holding spirited water at its root, stem, and leaves in a deserted community for decades has been entangled. In as much as the “baobab tree” is perceived to have shaded leaves, “He” stored magical water in the roots and stem for the leaves.

Dr Zechariah Manyok Biar, the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Wangulei, narrated the story to the gathering at Bior Asuod’s residential, saying that a few days before the hero fell, a man perceived to be mad and a frequent prayers attendee at Emmanuel Parish Juba narrated his dream to Rev Mading Deng, the pastor in charge that he had a dream. In his dream, the man saw Bior Ajang leading the crowds and pulling cars.

“A dream from a man who seems to be mad. He dreamt that he saw something big and dangerous befall South Sudan, and Bior was taking much of it away. He saw big and white cars and Bior pulling them. Something good or bad might happen to Bior Ajang.

Mading Deng narrated the dream to the late during the Emannuel Parish church meeting on Wednesday, and all of them laughed. Bior said he needed to meet with the man on Sunday, but the man didn’t show up, and they couldn’t talk with him”, he narrated.

The death brought political rivalries under one roof to mourn and pay tribute to the fallen veteran Ambassador General Bior Ajang, something contrary to the top-level country veterans who embody the spirit of sacrifice and dedication.

The crowd gathered at the late Ambassador Bior Ajang’s premises, comprised distinguished veterans of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army and Movement (SPLA/M). Among the veterans present, to mention a few, were General David Awet Akot, General Kuol Manyang Juuk, and Mama Rebecca Nyandeng De Mabior.

Mama Rebecca De Mabior, who is the Vice President of the Gender and Youth Cluster and the mother of the nation in the Republic of South Sudan, addresses a vigil of mourners gathered. She started her talk with a deep reflection on the death of her husband, Dr John Garang, saying she still mourning for him now, and the reason behind her grieve is that she promised herself when Dr John died that she would cry more than how she has been crying initially if South Sudan won’t progress as the late want it to be.

She woes the politicians of dividing themselves into tribal and ethnic lines and communities, and South Sudan was not liberated with the tribal mindset but with a unified party. She challenged them that the death of Ambassador Bior Ajang brought them together when they were enemies killing each other. She was wondering why they attended since they had divided themselves into small antagonistic political groups.

“You have divided yourself into ethnic backgrounds, so and so are from this and that community. Now, communities are the ones leading the country instead of political parties today; Bior Ajang brought you together. You initially divided yourself into groups and killed each other. I don’t know who will explain to South Sudan why you are killing yourself. And now, when it comes to death, you come together; what are you coming to do? Stop killing one another”, she said.

Mama Rebecca used an allegory of a pit being dug somewhere, and if South Sudanese are not careful, the digging will escalate and emerge in their midst, and they will not manage to control it.  She was more specific and added that “what is going on there will not stop there. It will come here. This was one of the issues the late Bior-Asuod was restless thinking about.

She urged the South Sudanese to lead the country by coming up with political parties and aligning their missions and objectives rather than forming segments in the form of tribes, communities, or groups. The South Sudanese should stop killing one another, and leaders should lead by example.

“Stop killing each other. You need each other. Let us lead ourselves and our country by example, not by tribes. Form your party and state your mission and objectives. People of South Sudan will listen to you, but if you go before the people of South Sudan saying I am from Twic East, and I want to contest for Presidency, who will listen to you? Stop dividing yourself”, she said.

General Daniel Awet Akot, one of the eleven alternate members of the SPLM/SPLA Political-Military High Command, says Bior-Asuod is a true veteran who has enormously sacrificed everything to liberate the country. He captures Maridi, and the people of Maridi still remember him for his great deeds.

Awetdit remembers and reflects on the hard times they went through with his colleagues like Lual Deng Wol, William Nyuon, John Koang, and many other generals who have fallen. He tells the crowd that his comrades died, and they will later follow. He urged the generals to perform their duties as required.

“Lual Deng Wol and William Nyuon are not here, and John Koang is not here. They have died, and we will follow. So, what we will all follow is that let’s keep in our hearts strong enough that we have done our work, and we will advise the generals to do their work”, he added.

He explained that the generals’ role was to liberate, and they liberated the country. However, he said, it is now the role of the young people to build the nation, urging generals in their 50s and 70s to focus on building the nation.

“We liberated, and you are going to build; you are still young. It is the building that I am telling you all the generals, the generals who are still in their 50s and 70s; it is the building of this nation that has caused much death to our people,” he emphasized.

He ended his speech by comforting the agitated and emotionally entangled mourners that General Bior-Asuod is not dead but leaving us to continue the struggle. He said it was not Bior who died alone. Many generals succumbed, and many will follow that. He encouraged the gathering to say a slogan of backwards never, forward ever.

“So, he has not died, and he is telling us to continue to struggle. All the generals that were there last time, most of them have died; this is where we are all going, and if it is the way we are all going, let us hold our breath, let us say forward ever, backwards never”, he said.

In conclusion, Bior-Asuod was a baobab tree for the Twi community. Symbolically, his diameter was enough for humans to live inside, his trunks provided shelter and a tool for community strength, he was a fruit and a seed that nourished his people, and his leaves acted as shade for the tender baobab.