Arop Madut died in London, UK after long illness|Courtesy photo

Renowned journalist-turned-politician Arop Madut Arop has passed away at the age of 85 in London, United Kingdom, following a long battle with illness.

Speaking to Eye Radio Tuesday, the Minister of Information in the Abyei Administrative Area, Bol Kuc, confirmed Madut’s death.

“We did receive news of his death this (Tuesday) morning, confirming that he passed away. However, we do not have information about the cause of death.

“Well, the late had been suffering for a long period, being ill and undergoing treatment, but the illness persisted for an extended period,” adding that “the factor of old age played a role, and he passed away at the age of nearly ninety years old.”

Born in 1939 in the then southern Sudan, Arop Madut Arop spent most of his childhood in the region.

After completing his secondary education in Northern Sudan, he furthered his studies at the Institute of Education, earning a diploma in history.

He then taught both English and history in secondary schools in Northern and Southern Sudan.

Following the establishment of self-rule for Southern Sudan in 1972, Arop left and joined the regional Ministry of Information.

He was then sent to study socialist journalism in East Berlin in 1972-1973 and graduated with a diploma in Newspapers Management.

After editing the Nile Mirror Newspaper, Arop was sent once more to West Berlin to study liberal journalism.

After 10 years of working within the Sudanese Media, Arop was awarded the Foreign and Commonwealth Scholarship at the City University of London, where he obtained his MA in International Journalism in 1985.

As a testament to his journalistic work, Arop was appointed a Visiting Fellow in the Department of Journalism in 1994 and again in 2001.

A prominent human rights activist in his country, Arop was jailed many times for his courageous journalistic and human rights work.

The late career was interrupted on many occasions by state action, in the 1990s when independent newspapers in the Sudan were closed down by the Fundamentalist Islamic Military regime that had come to power.

Before he went into exile, Arop had also worked with the Sudan Council of Churches as Director of Advocacy and Communications, a post which greatly enhanced his human rights activities advocating for the victims of Islamic Sharia Laws legislation, and abuses.

The late legacy includes notable literary works, such as “Sudan’s Painful Road to Peace,” crafted as a reference book for students delving into Sudanese politics.

Another is the book titled “The Genesis of Political Consciousness in South Sudan,” a detailed analysis of political awakening in South Sudan from 1943 to 1983, encompassing nine chapters and an epilogue summarizing the events leading to South Sudan’s declaration of independence on July 9th, 2011.

Hailing from the Alil area in the Abyei Administrative Area, Arop represented the Abyei area in the Transitional National Parliament of South Sudan.

He was also a member of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement.

According to the Abyei Minister of Information, funeral and burial arrangements for the late Arop Madut Arop will be announced at a later date by the family and the government.