We would like to welcome Dickson and Agnes Mutiso to the United States. Dickson is GRN's field coordinator in Sudan. You can find Dickson on facebook, if you you wish to communicate with him.
A friend of GRN has died in Southern Sudan. Dr. Samson was once the voice of the SPLM (Sudanese People's Liberation Movement). On the same weekend that Dickson Mutiso and I were arrested in Southern Sudan, Dr. Samson was shot in an assassination attempt in the same county. Please pray for Dr. Samson's family, it has been a very difficult year for them.
South Sudan president mourns the death of Samson
Kwaje
Monday 2 August 2010
August 1, 2010 (JUBA) — General Salva Kiir Mayardit, President
of the semi autonomous regional government of southern Sudan (GoSS) in its
capital, Juba, on Sunday broke down into tears upon receiving news on the
passing away of Samson Kwaje in Nairobi, Kenya.
Samson Kwaje
The death took place at Agha Khan Hospital in Nairobi in the
early morning hours of Sunday. He was a minister of agriculture and forestry in
GoSS.
Kwaje was admitted in the hospital in the Kenyan capital,
Nairobi, for the last three weeks under critical condition with failure of his
both kidneys and lung disease.
Kwaje was one of the senior members of southern ruling party,
the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM). He was one of the closest
ministers to the president as he held membership at political bureau, a highest
political organ in the SPLM structure, compromising 27 members under chairman
of Salva Kiir Mayardit.
Prior to his death, Kwaje held a lot of high-level assignments
both in the movement and government. He was the SPLM official spokesperson
during the two decades of civil war between the south and north, a position he
held till the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005 in Kenyan
capital of Nairobi.
The late SPLM figure was a target of an assassination attempt
last year when he was ambushed by armed groups intending to kill him over
territorial rivalry, between Juba and Lainya County, central Equatoria State.
Kwaje sustained slight injuries in the assassination attempt
though one of his bodyguards was killed instantly and another was seriously
injured before succumbing to death as well.
He returned to South Sudan months before the April elections and
was made the SPLM presidential campaign manager, touring all ten southern state
capitals, counties and villages as key figure in presidential entourage. He
also won a seat in South Sudan parliament in his constituency of Lainya County.
Addressing mourners in his house while shedding tears, Kiir said
the death of Kwaje "has left a big void and it is a great loss to the
Great Movement and indeed to the Entire region".
"We have lost a national hero. His death has created and
left a big gap particularly in the SPLM leadership and indeed to the entire
region," said Kiir at the deceased’s resident in Juba.
Kwaje’s body is expected to be flown on Monday from Nairobi.
Kiir told Kwaje’s family that it is not the responsibility of the family or
Pojulu community alone to pay and cover all the burial and funeral expenses but
that GoSS would also contribute to cover the cost.
Two senior Ministers; Cirino Hiteng Ofuho from the Office of the
President and his Parliamentary Affairs counterpart, Mr. Michael Makuei Lueth
flew to Nairobi yesterday to accompany the body.
Kiir said it was just two days ago that they "commemorated
the death of our Hero and Great Leader Late John Garang, and it only two days
later we have lost Samson Kwaje. The name of the Samson Kwaje is added to the
list and names of martyrs, heroes and heroines who were martyred for freedom
and justice,".
He also announced a three-day national mourning in all the
states of South Sudan to the spirit for three days effective Sunday. He ordered
that all South Sudan flags and flags in GoSS Missions and institutions abroad
to be flown at half-staff during this period.
Former agriculture and forestry and parliamentary affairs
minister, Martin Elia Lomoro, from South Sudan Democratic Forum party, while
receiving president Kiir in house of the late minister said he was saddened by
what he described as "uncalled and untimely death that it was difficult to
overcome terms with reality".
"I was even in Lainya yesterday when this death occurred
and received the news with shock because I did not believed it happened.
Confidently I say Kwaje was not just a leader, friend of mine but a good
shepherd as one can tell from public out cries," he said adding that he
was an outstanding contributor to the development of the region.
"When I left the ministry, I left it knowing that the right
person has replaced me and indeed he did that beyond the expectation I had. All
the programs and projects which I initiated were implemented and more were
added," said Martin.
Additionally, Dhieu Mathok Diing Wol, a former minister in the
central government and a senior member of the SPLM said Kwaje was a
"national hero". (Sudan Tribune)
Preventative Maintenance on the Nugent School chapel
As many of you know, Global Response Network has been
renovating the campus of The Nugent School in Loka, Sudan for many years. One
of the trademark buildings on the school grounds is its Chapel.
Since the time of the chapel’s original renovation in 2004,
its walls (original - 1929) were beginning to deteriorate in several places.
Though you may not be able to see from the photo (top), this is a very large building,
which can hold up to 500 people.
Obviously, this is not a building that anyone wants to lose, so we hired
some men to perform a very simple yet very effective procedure to encase all
the existing bricks and to sure up the parts that were beginning to “give way.”
The technique we used is referred to as “casting.” Cement and colorant are
literally hand sprayed onto a surface which then encapsulates and preserves
anything underneath it. It is something like a cement shell of protection. This will ensure that this house of worship will be around for many years to come.
HI FRIENDS, THERE ARE JUST THREE DAYS LEFT (SUNDAY APRIL 25TH) TO PLACE YOUR ORDER FOR A WMD T-SHIRT AND PROVIDE A MOSQUITO NET FOR A CHILD IN SUDAN. PLEASE GO TO THE ORDER FORM @ http://www.grnconnect.org/index.php?option=com_artforms&formid=4 AND LET US KNOW HOW YOU WILL BE PARTICIPATING. THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU!!!!