Bøger af Mamer Dau Thuch

As a victim of war, I have many stories to tell. Many things have affected me in the past and that's why I have called my memoir "The Shadows of Wrath; Life Trials". I have chosen this particular title for its meaning and because of the terrible things I have been through in my life. The horrendous things l had endured for many years became my nightmare. I would blame Arab of Sudan and Nuer tribe's notorious war mongers for my suffering. I was born into the extreme world full of violence and civil wars. In old Sudan, millions of people killed, were blamed on Arabs. Much death was blame on tribal wars between the African tribes in South Sudan and North Sudan. In the past, politicians from Arab led government in North Sudan divided African tribes in South Sudan to fight each other. Politicians created hatred, discrimination and racial wars among African tribes. Major tribes in South Sudan such as the Dinka, the Nuer, and the Bari-speakers, the Zande, the Lotuko, the Toposa, and many others became enemies among themselves. The Dinka tribe and the Nuer tribe became the subjects of tribal wars imposed by Arabs in the North. In old Sudan, Arabs used the money to buy people who could create tribal wars between the tribes and instability in South Sudan. For many years, things fall apart between the Dinka tribe and Nuer tribe simply because the Arabs did not want them to unite. In fact, the Nuer tribe and the Dinka are believed to have originated from the two ancestors. The two ancestors were Deng (meaning the god of rain) and Abuk (meaning the mother of all mankind). Deng was the father of the Monyjang tribe (the real name of the Dinka). Deng was also the father of the Nuer tribe. Abuk was their mother. During the colonization era, the British and Arabs gave the Monyjang tribe the popular name known today as the Dinka. The Dinka and Nuer are brothers and sisters. These major tribes look alike in term of their physical status. They are predominantly tall with dark smooth skin than any other tribes in South Sudan. They have also shared common customs and similar dialect as well. In 1991, the Nuer tribe armed with heavy weapons attacked my village of Bor where war crimes against humanity were committed. At that time, half million of civilians in Bor were forced to flee their villages. A lot of people hidden in the bushes and thousands of civilians took refuge in the neighbouring countries. Genocide took place in Bor due to the hatred between the Dinka and Nuer. Perhaps, I would also mention the Prophet Ngundeng Bong in relation to the Bor ethnic cleansing. A long time ago, he had prophesied that the Nuer tribe would one day invaded Bor, they would kill thousands of people, they would destroy their villages, raided their cattle, abduct their children, women and thousands of civilians in Bor would run to the neighbouring countries as refugees. In fact, the Ngundeng prophecies were fulfilled in 1991. I have also witnessed the genocide with my own eyes. People in my village and I were victims of war for something we didn't commit. I was forced to flee my village on foot to Kenya as a refugee. At that time, I was ten years old. I walked hundreds of miles without shoes for two years. And because of fear at that time, my mother and I run to save our lives. I knew I was innocent to deserve suffering or pain. I wish I could get justice for my pain, but I have no power to do that. The Arabs and the Nuer tribe were responsible for my suffering. The Nuer has killed thousands of civilians in Bor including my relatives. They have also raided all our cattle which were sources of food. They have created unforgettable poverty and extreme hunger in my village. Indeed, those enemies were drinking our blood for their own good. I also know that, it was not my fault to face the hard life, not my parents either. I was trapped in many severe circumstances. I was trapped between the two warring parties.

I’m Mamer Dau Thuch, the author of The Shadows of Wrath-Life Trials.I was born in South Sudan, a country known both for its extensive resources and its dangerous civil wars.Poor leadership has led to widespread fear in South Sudan.Civil wars have killed millions since 1983 and have forced millions more to ∩¼éee to neighbouring countries. Many more people have taken refuge in Europe, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and other countries across the globe. In 1991, I myself faced death in South Sudan. Conflict always made my life and safety uncertain, and I was exposed to the horrors of war at a young age. In 1991, the genocide struck the citizen of Bor, perpetrated by the Nassir faction. I was almost killed, and when I survived, I was left with nothing but my memories. I ∩¼éed to Ngalngala in Central Equatoria State, thinking that the war would eventually cease and that I would return to my village. But safety did not come, and I never saw my village again. I would be a refugee for the rest of my life. I do not believe that peace will prevail in my country in my lifetime, and I know that others who share similar journeys to my own feel the same way. I am haunted by the horrors of Bor’s genocide and by the trauma of the civil wars in my village and which I also faced in my country. The atrocities I witnessed in South Sudan helped me to understand the world and gave me my story to tell. My hope in telling the story of my life’s trials is that, should I live to marry and have children, they will read about my experiences and understand the history of South Sudan. I hope that my future family and my readers will learn what it means to be a refugee and what it takes to settle in a country so far from home.