MATHEW OBUR AYANG: BURIAL OF ANOTHER SOUTH SUDANESE HERO OBITUARY

Juba town arose to shock on the 9th of July 2009 upon the receivable of the news detailing the passing away of Mr. Mathew Obur Ayang, which occurred in the Republic of South Africa.

The Late has been hospitalized in South Africa for quite sometimes but his health deteriorated considerably, which let to his ultimate death. H.E. Mr. Salva Kiir Mayardid, the 1st Vice president of the Sudan, the President of the Government of Southern Sudan, Chairman of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), and the Commander-in-Chief of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) issued a presidential order for the body to be swiftly flown home.
The coffin arrived Juba airport yesterday July, 14th 2009, accompanied by high profile South African ministerial and presidential figures, where further presidential instructions were given to H.E. Mr. Riek Machar Teny, to do all necessary protocols, ceremonial, and prestigious etiquettes for a man notoriously known in the Sudan, in general, and South Sudan in particular, as one of its "Patriotic Sons and Leaders".
In the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly (SSLA) the coffin was situated in the middle of the main parliamentary hall, for final respect, Mr. Riek Machar Teny, the Vice-President of the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) addressed the mourners. He murmured "today is one of our saddest days because of passing away of another leader".
Mr. Mathew Obur Ajak, Chairman of the Chollo Community in Central Equatoria State, rose up from his seat and gave a short brief and then asked the attendants to have faith in their late father, who has just passed away. The widow of the Late, Mrs. Mary Kur Deng, encouraged the Southern Sudanese to complete a book titled "Further Land"; which the Late was embarking in its writing while in his final days.
The body was flown to Malakal today, July 15th 2009 and laid to rest in Wau (Chollo), a village adjacent to Malakal town in the Upper Nile State, where the late had come from.
Late Mr. Mathew Obur Ayang received his primary education in Dolieb Hill and proceeded to Attar Intermediate School, from where he was admitted into Rumbek Secondary School.
While attending at Rumbek Secondary School in 1960s, the then Government of Late/ Abrahim Abboud ordered "Sunday holidays" be replaced with "Friday Holidays" in the South, an event which had deeply angered the Southerners. Eventually, Mr. Obur Ayang vehemently, objected that decision and took out to the streets urging students and public at large in the South to protest. He was arrested by the regime and sentenced to ten (10) years in prison. While in Kubar Prison in Khartoum North, his name appeared in the roaster among the students to enter into the University of Khartoum, faculty of Economic and Administrative Studies. Having not finished his jail term, he failed to join neither to continue his studies in Sudan. Subsequently, and upon his release Mr. Obur Ayang joined the Southern Sudan rebellion movement commonly known as "Anya Nya 1". He furthered his studies while in the "Bush" by acquiring a Bachelor degree in Arts and Political Science from the Makerere University in Uganda. His name and legacy shall be counted and enumerated among those Southern veterans, such as William Deng Deng, Clement O'mboro, Othown Dak, Santino Deng, etc, as well as along the long line of politicians and veteras, who sacrificed their lives in advancement of the Southern Sudan Cause during Anya Nya 1, by smuggling arms, ammunitions, and other material items from the neighbouring countries such as Zaire, Uganda, and Ethiopia, in exchange for ivory, gold, cattle or maize.
His political career was indelibly marked by patriotism, revolutionarism, deep respect for the right of Southern Sudanese, and the marginalized people of Sudan. During the May Regime of Late/Jaffar Mohamed El-Nimeiri, the Late / Mathew became a member of the Sudan Socialist Union and won a parliamentary seat, triple times, in the Self Autonomous Government of Southern Sudan, which had came as a result of Addis Abbaba Agreement in 1972.
In 1978 the Late became a minister for the Ministry of Education, where he had work towards increasing the number of schools and the enrolment of more kids into those schools in South Sudan. Moreover, and during the 1982 elections, he assumed the Parliamentary Membership, once and for last, and was nominated as the Speaker for the Southern Sudan Parliament, where he remained in that post till the re-division of the South into three states and the emergence of the Sudan People's Liberation Army and the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLA/M). He joined the Movement at its inception, even before, and during the April Uprising "Al-Infifada" let by Brigadier General Abder-Rahman Mohmmad EL-Hassan Swar El-Dahab, he established an Arabic Newspaper called "El-Shamasa"; which literally means the "Marginalized". Then he became the Editor-in-Chief of the New Horizon, an English newspaper.
Afterwards, he was appointed as the President of the Executive Council of Southern Sudan, and served as a minister of Labour and Public services. As events unfolded in Sudan, he was appointed as a Director General for the African Desk in the International People's Friendship Council. The Late is survived by two sons and five daughters.

I personally owed a lot of thanks to the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS), having been showing and giving much care and attention to the funeral and ceremonial burial of Late/ Mathew Obur Ayang. By dressing his coffin, squarely with the New Sudan flag, being the official flag of South Sudan, GOSS has really given the late what he is worth of. Not only that Mrs. Awoud Deng Achueil, the Minister of Labour, Public Services, and Human Resources Development, by her constant presence while in full black suit, has caught the scene and attention by showing her grief and comfort to Chollo.
We which all best blessings to the family, relatives, friends, and lovers of the Late/ Mathew Obur Ayang, and May our Almighty God rest his soul in peace.
Kimo Ajing Aba,
Juba, South Sudan- SUDAN.