International Day of the Disappeared
To “disappear” is to vanish, to cease to be, to be lost. But the “disappeared” have not simply vanished. Someone, somewhere, knows what has happened to them. Someone is responsible. (source)
Today, August 30th marks the International Day of the Disappeared. A day to honor and remember those who have disappeared, ceased to be, lost.
I am bringing this to your attention because of a an incident that has left a permanent scar in my heart. In 1992, SPLA forces almost liberated Juba. When they withdraw, the Jalaba forces of the National Islamic Front responded by extrajudicially executing civilians, captured and wounded SPLA forces etc. In the weeks that followed they rounded up over 260 young officials and to this day, their whereabout is anyones guess.
They just disappeared!
RIP comrades…
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True, Returnee. Most of the people who disappeared I also know personally. It is a tragedy that up till now the SAF security were not able to give clear evidence what happened to them.
The “White House” in Juba is worse than Guantanomo and Abu Ghraib combined. Only true prosecution could the true nature of what actually took place there could be known.
Unfortunately the CPA does not talk of war accountability. We are only left with their memories.
My questioning is, if there’s an attempt to prosecute folks for war crimes, I mean…where do you even start?
So many things pushed under the rug…
oh god!
I can’t imagine how their families feeel….
I know many people who dissappeared too!
I vaguely remember my parents speaking of disappearances. But quite honestly, I stopped paying attention a long time ago. their talks were more cautionary.
So it’s 260 for officials.
What about civilians?
Would be staggering, I believe.
@Dalu,
True what DocKK said, CPA does not talk about accountability. I heard the SPLM proposed a south-African style of truth and reconciliation committee, but the Islamists of Al Bashier have refused. Even after they go, where will you start and as whom?
These murderers are monsters with grand backings…
Yes, as for the civilians in and around Juba town at that time no one know how many might have been murdered. There is a residence area close to the army artillary baracks that the SAF bombarded and burned. No record was keep of the dead, but just writing this to you reminds me of the smell and the fear of just being there!
@kizzie…
Every year, the widows of the victims gather to remember their loved ones and demand simple things like wanting to know where the remains are. The have gotten over how they feel or dealt with it rather,but now it’s how they continue to survive when you still see the people who took away their fathers, husbands and/or sons still roaming the streets…. Some believe that their day will come…
3endi leek 3roos, shes pretty hot! u interested?
Whoa whoa whoa
Sudan Returnee gets priority hook up before me?
Anyway, SR, I don’t know…the South African style truth and reconciliation sounds nice and dandy, and call me fickle…but for me personally, it’s not remotely enough. But I guess that’s what we’ll have to settle for, since there’s no real “law and order” set up to hand out justice appropriately.
@kizzie…
is that for me? whoa…cool! Interested, yes, but not an 3roosa right away. Discribe her a bit, tip to toe, all around.
hehehehe…
@Dalu..
If only we had gotten something remotely similar to the SA truth and reconciliation thingy, then the families would have the choice to either forgive and reconcile and move on, or remain bitter and so on…What we are left with to settle for is nothing at all. The past is buried, and as long as these criminals are in power, we will never know the truth.
Did you know that there is a group from Upper Nile, Bor to be specific, who want to find a way to put VP Riak Machar on trial for the killings or 92? Don’t know where this is heading but many say Riak has aspiration to lead, sorry I mean rule South Sudan one day. If I were him, I’ll just bump those aspiration into a ballon and let the ballon fly…
Now, about me getting priorities, come on now…. We know you don’t have problems getting what you like unlike me. A brother like me can use some help from a sister like Kizzie u know.
dear returneese and dear youngsters in daispora. to come home to find the living situation and health sevice very bad has many reasons .south sudan has not yet recover from the most destructive war in the whole region .you can not build the house in one day. you have to understand the reasons -and this is a very very good way to think. our prvious history was full of tragedies and many obsticles.our fathers were not allowed to fulfill our dreams by colonial governors and the enemies of south sudan and black people of africa.Be yourselve , stop comparing yourselves with others .Accept what you have and try to change your country . it is good of you to react , but do not be brainwash , because the foriegn country is not your your country , you are always considered as a rat or a parasite.you youth ,instead you have to incourage people to come back home stop this propaganda . come home let your voice be heared through forming compain orgnization against diseases , you are even entitled to owe youth hostel through which can do a lot of beneficial activities .teaching,singing sporting and so on,let us work bit by bit, prevention is far better than cure.instead of prescribing malaria treatment to yourselves leave it to the experts, and start where you are supposed to start.god blessed those who want the good for their countries.