The LOST BOYS JOURNEY
From South Sudan to Ethiopia, Kenya and USA (1987, 1992, 2001)
by Rev. Jacob Nhial Guut
We left our country due to an attack by Arab troops, which left so many people dead and burnt down the houses to ashes as they also abducted children and women together with the cattle. This happened in the year 1987 in Bor town and all the ten states of South Sudan. For example, we witnessed the killing of many people who were shot dead in our presence. We ran away from the danger for our safety into the forest and the troops continued terrorizing the village.
Therefore, we met some elders from our villages that were also escaping the killing / violence in the villages, they gathered the children who had no parents that they found around in the forest and led the way into East with us where we crossed the Sudan border Gumruok, Pibor and Pochalla then to Ethiopia. The journey took us fifteen (15) days by foot, facing difficulties i.e. eating tree leaves, fruits and roots, in which many of us lost their lives through attacks from wild animals, thirst as we drunk muddy water and eating poisonous fruits and roots.
Unfortunately, after five (5) years that we spent in Ethiopia, many people lost their lives again due to lack of medication and so many other things like disease and jiggers’ outbreak but UNHCR came in support of food and medication. It was hard and difficult for us to bury the dead bodies because we were been surrounded; there was no day for any one not to die and few of us who remained alive each of us use to say in his own heart that it may be my time, we lived in Ponyido camp from the year 1987 to 1991. In Ponyido we faced many difficulties for example due to lack of facilities we used stones to cut trees for building houses, we used to Cut the iron tins and use them as sufurias, then we served the food in groups and in sacks as plates, which we used to dig a hole for placing the sack to make it deeper for the food, few people were selected amongst each group to go to cut grass for house roof and when we went people used to stay for seven- fourteen days or more without even having a bathe due to lack of water in that place called (Kuetachuol in Dinka dialect – meaning in English staying for long with dirt collection) whereas another group was being selected to go to cut trees for house building and that particular place was a far forest which was invested by many wild animals where some of us lost their lives due to animal attack, It was a very dark forest which is called, (gokanyuak – meaning Anyuak people’s forest) when we entered to this forest it seemed like night time, some people used to remain at the main entrance with their guns so that later they can shot bullets into the air in order for us to hear the sound and then follow the direction of the guns so that we couldn’t get lost but still we missed some of our colleagues in which their image are still fresh to my own eyes . After which we left for Gilo where many colleagues of mine lost their lives through being drawn in the River Gilo as the enemies were chasing us.
Problems seemed to follow us where ever we went since we couldn’t get peace in Ethiopia, war broke after the president was overthrown, and we started running again but on the run in a town called Gilo, border of Sudan and Ethiopia many people perished through being drowned in the river Gilo. Some sights were overwhelming like this one that stuck in my mind up to date, there was this couple whom we were walking together with and they had a young baby, whom they were helping each other to carry along the way, it came a time that both of them were very tired and the father suggested that they throw the child away as they will get another one when they settle down. And surprisingly enough the child was thrown away. This site has stuck in my mind up to date and I really wonder what happened to the baby and many more children were also thrown away throughout the running journey. Then there was this other experience, where a soldier asked a fellow country man, whether he could swim and the man responded on the positive side, and the man jumped into the river to prove his answer, but he didn’t go far, he was immediately shot down. I was shocked and I couldn’t sleep that night, how can a human being be so inhuman.
We settled at Pochalla (Sudan) where we stayed for half a month without food infact we fed on tree leaves and wild fruits. The Red Cross and UNHCR came in support of food and medication. The UN brought five sacks of beans for the whole refugees including the minors. We were usually referred to as the lost boys. In the same year the enemies attacked Pochalla and killed several civilians, for the second attack we ran and they captured many of us in hospital and killed many. This made us move to different places, from Pochalla to Boma, Magoes where we rested for some days. Here in Magoes we were shot at night and we lost three brothers amongst our group and one of the SPLA soldier was shot. We buried this people and we went on to Kapoeta and settled again in Kapoeta in search of security which was also attacked in 1992 and led us to Narus, Nadapal (Sudan) and Lokichogio (Kenya).
After which we arrived to Lokichogio (Kenyan, Sudan border) UNHCR came in and moved us to Kakuma (Kenya) in July 1992.Kakuma was a very dry, dusty and windy place. We had faced so many difficulties that when we found some security we didn’t mind the condition of the place. We believed things will be better and we went on to pray for rain. Our old people and pastors tied clothes along their waistline and went along the dry river to make prayers. Surprisingly, the rain started raining. The UNHCR really tried to uplift our people and they gave us food, medication, houses and education. The education was opened in 1993 and we were being educated up to form 4. We learn under a tree and many of us passed their exams. Later the school was built and there were classrooms where we relocated to. We lived in Kakuma Refugees Camp from 1992. In the year 2001 some of us went to USA including my group mate Peter Herjok Nyok and some remained in Kakuma Refugee Camp due to September terrorist attack in New York. This attack interrupted our resettlement into the USA.
After my colleagues went to USA; I lived in Kakuma from 1992 to 2006. In Kakuma we faced many problems, Insecurity started, for example attacks by the neighboring communities, i.e. the Turkana.The Turkanas killed many refugees in Kakuma Refugee Camp and due to this insecurity, I moved from Kakuma and went to Nairobi (Kenya) from January 2007 up to date. I am currently living in Nairobi with my family. Mary Adut Gai (My wife), Joseph Leek Jacob (Son), and Abuk Jacob Nhial (Daughter).
Currently there many difficulties in South Sudan since there is no peace, The Murle has started fighting and I need to update you with terrible life which I have seen for ten days which I have spent in Sudan. I arrived in Jonglei State (Bor) on Tuesday 14th, April 2009. Then the next day which was Wednesday 15th April, I left the state and moved to the village-towns by foot passing from the dark forest Makuach, Konbeek and Kapaat (this are my towns where I was brought up when I was young, I escaped the place in 1987 and I have never gone back there, actually this was my first time back to the towns) without fear but God has protected me as I met everyone. The same day I returned back to Jonglei State then I was seriously sick with blood diarrhea and Malaria and I didn’t get medication, but God has also helped me from this hard life. I can say that God has heard and answered the prayers of those who usually pray for others and God is always with His people.
In Southern Sudan, specially Jonglei State which is my town, there are many difficulties facing people, there is death spread everywhere i.e 35 people were killed by local community called Murle who used to abduct cows and kidnap children, on Thursday last week (2009) six people were killed from cattle camp and 140 cows were taken away from them, 21st April 2009 Murle came to a nearby Juba cattle camp called Bilnyang and took away the cows and the gentlemen in the cattle fought with them. They took the cows but many people are still missing, again on 26th April 2009 Murle killed five women and shot a six month old baby and kidnapped two children, They also took cattle from my village and the same thing occurred to Nuer people as murle use to come at night burning houses, killing many people and took away many children. They are people who are always supported by Arabs. This cattle camp which was taken yesterday, there was this one man who was lucky who had hired a big lorry and transported his cattles to Juba for selling.
There is so much insecurity in the villages round Jonglei state. This has made people to move to the state where their life becomes hard/difficult because they don’t have a source of income since they depended on cattles and farming. There many orphaned children in Sudan hence making life more difficult for the guardians who are looking after them since they don’t have a source of income since their farms and cattle’s have been destroyed. Those people who are living in the cattle camps and they own cattles, their lives is in danger because they are the targets of the murle who spy on them and kill them so that they can take their cattles. The Sudanese who have been living in Kakuma Refugee Camp and they are being repatriated to Sudan; they are welcomed by a very hard life there and lots of insecurity and poverty.
Much regards from this part of the world and all the best.
Blessings.
Rev. Jacob Nhial Guut