User:Nalimaakono

I remember

Nangirohomoli is a young warrior from the land of the Didinga People of Sudan, [the largest country in Africa] in the southern region, about 50miles northwest of the Kenyan boarder. The Didinga people are mainly small-scale farmers, and livestock keepers. Traditions, norms and beliefs are strongly encouraged and practiced by the Didinga, Beliefs in supernatural powers; ancestral spirits and those that died are dearly honored and respected, --almost but more than Halloween-- for in turns fertility of the land to be cultivated and defense from illness are believed to be upon the Didinga.

The Didinga people used to be very peaceful people with open arms to fellow tribe men/women and strangers; Here hospitality is more than its name. Though there was and are disputes between the Didinga people and other Tribes like the Dodoth in Uganda, the Toposa/Humii, and the Logiirr over livestock, whereby raids take place from time to time. But nothing is more worst than the Sudanese civil war, brought by the Rebels, the SPLA/M [Sudanese People Liberation Army/Movement] and its Rival the Khartoum Regime/Arabs in the North of Sudan, that brought so much pain and suffering to the people of Sudan, to the Didinga in their peaceful and simple life in their soils.

Nangirohomoli recollects of period of 1992-1993 of the intense and heavy fighting between his tribe, the Didinga people and SPLA/M mostly consisting of the Dinka tribe, very tall with marks so deep into their skulls across their forehead. Nangirohomoli speaks of having seeing marks so deep that are curved into the skulls of the dead, on the cultivating fields. He jokingly spoke of these soldiers having very bad dental formation, teeth reaching out of their lips, like testing the air. Their ways of distinction and customs as seen by other tribes. The SPLA/M, call itself the liberator of the Christian of southern Sudan from the oppressors the Arabs in the North, who Govern the country with a law know as, SHERIA LAW, that Everyone has to be converted to Muslim/Islam or face death. Instead being liberators, the SPLA/M become the oppressors. When the rebels first came into our lands in 1980's, they were respected and warmly received by the Didinga, said Nangirohomoli. The day he first saw the SPLA/M, he was about 6 or 7 years old, jumping like frogs, being whipped as they strangled in through their frog like leap, which he now understand to be some sort of military training. For the first time he heard a gun shot, which will be a beginning of countless as time went by, that went through a bull like a thread through a needle as the bull strangled to stand, and fell to the earth.

When the Didinga needed to kill a bull or animal for an occasion, a few warriors are chosen with spears, who will for about ten minutes target the bull just at end of it foreleg shoulders by stabbing it, and once it’s done, the bull will fight to be alive and fight to stand, gradually and slowly fells to the earth with snivel and groans as blood runs through its nose and mouth. The Gun was much faster and quicker, desired by some of the warriors, even he at that age wished to have one. Unfortunately he didn’t know that this was the beginning of hard times, death, famine and chaos. Who could imagine then, that something so metallic could bring a change in men’s hearts, and destruction of humanity! Guns in hand meant power, power to kill an innocent or a bad boy and mercilessly slaughter many.

The rebels after being accommodated for months were expected to move on to where they needed to go, the Didinga didn’t know they would stay, stay to recruit young boys and fathers to join their war, women and children molested and some tortured without mercy. Those who managed to escape from barracks came home with guns and others joined in both sides, the SPLA/M and Khartoum Regime, to acquire guns to come back home and fight for freedom and peace in our society. The Didinga didn’t care about the war the Rebels and the regime were fighting, for the Didinga needed to live life in their simplicity. So the fight between Nangirohomoli's people and the rebels began, on and off the sides fought with devastating results. The tribe hoaxed with peace by the rebels, Meetings called and their chiefs detained, tortured and killed, fights again continued, off and on. Our lands where we use to cultivate and grow crops of life and existence are filled with landmines of death, said Nangirohomoli. Fear of cultivating the land and being blown up led some of the people to become fugitives in countries like US, Kenya, Uganda, and others like UK, Canada, and other places. Though being a fugitive in lands of opportunity like U.S, crowns everyone who dreams of a change home and for peace in our land, --Dream Markers-- Those back at home will have to survive through painful days to see the fruits of their children, that day will come.

I have seen and encountered what one has to, to want greater change in human lives for better. Though times are hard and difficult, I have a strong conviction that I',m not where I am merely because I had a chance to be, but because there is a journey for a change in tomorrows ways of the Sudanese people, of the Didinga, and of the tree of humanity, said Nangirohomoli.