MacharPix

On this day in 1983, Kerubino Kuanyin Bol fired the first bullet in Bor, Jonglei State, leading a mutiny against the Sudanese (Arab) government. This act officially launched the guerrilla movement that would eventually lead to the birth of what we now know as South Sudan.

A few weeks later, my father also took up arms in the town of Ayod, also in Jonglei. Together, he and Kerubino marched to Itang, Ethiopia, where they joined forces with others — including John Garang, Arok Thon, Francis Ngor, and Martin Majier G*i Ayuel — to form the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLA).

Neither Kerubino nor my father lived to see the movement they helped start bring South Sudan to independence and freedom. But they both knew — and accepted — that the struggle for liberation would likely cost them their lives.

Today, I honour my uncle Kerubino, my father Nyuon, and their comrades. Some of them are still with us today, though living in poor conditions. Their sacrifices laid the foundation for our nation, and they must never be forgotten.

Throwbacks ⚽️⚽️⚽️