My Eulogy and Tributes to the late Lt. Gen. Salva Mathok Gengdit
By Ustaz Abraham Mabior Rioc Manyang (M. Ed, M. Ed, B.Ed), Juba, South Sudan.
With a heavy heart full of profound sorrow and tragedy for the loss of Lt. Gen. Salva Mathok Gengdit, I would like to take this opportune stretch to pay a special tribute and eulogy to his dear life. In this respect, I am here to offer a few descriptions of a great man who had enthusiastically sacrificed his life to liberate us from the Arab's political oppression, socio-economic marginalization, and constitutional discrimination.
As I eulogize a special tribute to a great man and a prominent leader, I am emotionally disturbed with a very nerve-wracking feeling resulting from sadness and solitude for losing this great and unique personality. Though sad and loss of imaginative words to adequately describe his character, I can gather the courage to highlight his decent personal nature and magnificent contributions to celebrate his multilayered contributions and achievements while on earth.
While on earth as a liberator and now in spirit, the late Lt. Gen Salva Mathok Gengdit was a true definition of a confident hero, iconic leader, freedom fighter, humble elder, and above all, a revered family man. His social life was, still is in spirit, a personal life lived for a purpose that rationally stimulates people from all works of life to shed uncontrollable tears of sorrow for his premature demise. Without a considerable doubt, the late was a national figure of the highest statesmanship and sufficiently substantiated comradeship as reflected in his active participation in the liberation struggle for this great Nation, The Republic of South Sudan.
On the contrary, Lt. Gen. Salva Mathok Gengdit left behind a meaningful legacy and heroism concerning his political and military contributions to the liberation struggle of this great Nation. The late Lt. Gen. Salva Mathok Gengdit was an army tactician and political signifier who respectfully dedicated his youthly and elderly life to this great country's total emancipation and freedom. He was one of the few elders and military Strategists who had South Sudan at heart, even at his last breath on earth. He was a man who did not embrace the social discrimination of tribes and communities against one another. While on earth, he was imbued with reflective unity of purpose and an enthusiastic personality of gifted leadership.
Indeed, he was one of the role models for the noble youths from diverse demographic and geographic boundaries. While on earth, he had contributed moral wherewithal and strategic ideas for the deliverance of independence of South Sudan. He was ready to offer his military knowledge and political geometry to support South Sudan in tough times. In his personality, Late Lt. Gen. Salva Mathok Gengdit was precisely classified as a great leader of his time because his self-sacrificing mind was full of patriotism, compatriotism, and nationalism. He was a leader who could not, by any cost, voluntarily withdraw his support to eradicate the political intimidation and oppression of his people, which he was always admired morally, socially, and bravely.
As far as his passionate love for this great Nation was concerned, his legacy will always continue to be the binding reason for our noble cause for the independence and sovereignty of our country. Throughout his political and military life, Lt. Gen. Salva Mathok Gengdit lived a life of an outstanding philosophical strategist who kindled a path to victory with gifted wisdom, rare nobility, and extraordinary bravery of all forms. Throughout his lifetime, he was so dedicated to the positive dreams for the extermination of the biased parameters of the old Sudan as pigeonholed in racism, socio-economic sectarianism, and religious fundamentalism. He was strongly opposed to tribalism, sectionalism, clannism, auxiliary economic collapse, political instability, and continuous wars, which have exposed the country to unwanted tendencies. He was a naturally brave and exceptionally designed political onlooker with a magnificent open mindset and strategic mental conviction.
To a more considerable extent, the late Lt. Gen. Salva Mathok Gengdit was a famous man of social significance, military prowess, and political strategy. In my primary school days, I had been hearing him as one of the gallant commanders who bravely fought to teeth the forces of the Late Cdr. Kerubino Kuanyin Bol in the areas of Twic and Gogrial, respectively. By luck, I physically met Lt. Gen. Salva Mathok Gengdit in 2004 during the SPLA/SPLM Liberation Council Meeting in Rumbek. As a foot soldier, I was part of the security advance Team sent from Ramciel under the chief command of Cdr. Malual Majok Chengkuach (the current SSPDF Assistant Chief for Administration and Personnel and Cdr Atem Aguang Atem (RIP). We were stationed at Makoi within Rumbek, the palatial residence of the Late Dr John Garang De Mabior.
One fine evening, my colleagues: Molana Ater Deng Ngor, Makuol Deng, Santino Malek Mathok, and I decided to visit him at his residential compound in Rumbek. We first passed through the late Anthony Bol Madut's (RIP) house to greet him and promptly proceeded to his house. While standing at the gate, he saw us and he immediately ordered one of his bodyguards to give us the seats to wait for him while finishing his meeting with the other guests we could find with him. Straightaway when he finished, he came to and greeted us with a catchable smile followed by a warm hug. Surprisingly, such a greeting has always been uncommon to many commanders and politicians since then and now. He sat down, and we briefly chatted about the army and our thirst for education. By gesture, he was genuinely surprised how we could find ourselves in the military at our younger ages. After a short moment, Cdr. Lual Deng Kuel came and saluted him at a distance and told him that Cdr Salva Kiir Mayardit needed him at his residence.
Upon hearing the request from Cdr. Salva Kiir Mayardit, he stood up and told us to come to him the following day so that he would give us something to buy clothes. By reacting positively to the call of his senior commander, it automatically came to mind that he was a man who had never scorned and wasted no minutes when needed by his boss. On the same note of open-handedness, by promising that we would come back him to give us something even when we were not related to him by blood was a precise indication that he was a man of noble generosity and a man of the people. Unfortunately, I could not make it the following day since I was on a cooking roaster (on duty) and those who came were each given 2,000 Pounds (Rumbek Pounds).
By closely analysing our brief chat, I later learned that the late Lt. Gen. Salva Mathok Gengdit had a seasoned personality of being a man of the people, for the people and by the people. Instinctively, he had an incredible brain influence and unparalleled smartness in doing things, even in his old age. To those who knew him, such rare abilities are reflected in his moral character, effective performance and audacious speech. He was painstakingly dutiful and highly gifted with the power of his compelling argument and quick actions to respond.
At the active service of his community and the country, he had at heart the love for his Apuk Giir Community, Warrap State in particular and South Sudan. While on earth, it was rare for him to be invited to any community or political function and fail to show up. In his old age, he was active in community Associations, political conferences and cultural engagements. No artistic or social meetings could be held, and an Artist sing a meaningful song, and he could not go to the stage to dance purposely to encourage his people. In old age, he was still very active in different media outlets by writing and publishing his opinions and commentaries as a leader, loyal citizen and dedicated civil servant.
By this reference, late Lt. Gen. Salva Mathok Gengdit was one of the rare leaders who could not entertain nonsenses which incontrovertibly put him in a class of his unique personality. Indeed, no cumulative problem size that would put him down, even for a single minute. He was a strategic problem-solver, loyal servant, dedicated citizen, critical reader, keen analyst, and straightforward thinker. Looking back at the extraordinary heroism and constructive statesmanship, Cdr. Salva Mathok Gengdit, you are now gone physically, but in spirit, your patriotic legacy and ultimate heroism will reign, here and now. My heartfelt condolences and dignified console to your bereaved family, Apuk Giir Thiik Community, Warrap State, and the entire South Sudanese. May your treasurable and noble Soul continue to Rest in Internal Peace!
The Author, Captain Abraham Mabior Rioc, is an educationist who holds dual Master' Degrees of Education: Master of Education in Emergencies (EiE) at the University of Juba and a Master of Education in Comparative and Global Studies in Education and Development at the University of Hong Kong respectively. He is the Author of the book Capitalizing on Education in Emergencies in South Sudan: The Perspectives from the Silent Crises. He is electronically reachable at mabiorrioc@gmail.com and via phone contact on +211 928 33 66 11