General John Duit Yiech Tuach, a veteran liberation figure and one of the founders of Bilpam in Gambella, Ethiopia, has died. He hailed from Maiwut County in Upper Nile State. His family announced his passing in a statement, describing him as more than a military leader, but a strategic architect of South Sudan's freedom and a living custodian of the country's liberation history.
General Duit played a significant role in the establishment of Bilpam, the historic military training base of the Anya-Nya II and later the SPLA. In 1975, he was the first Anya-Nya II officer assigned to assess the proposed site for the base. He performed a traditional ritual and sacrificed a sheep, believing that its blood would protect the fighters from diseases or poisoning.
The establishment of Bilpam was linked to the abrogation of the 1972 Addis Ababa Agreement by Khartoum, which prompted a group of Southern Sudanese officers to mutiny in 1975. The officers, led by the late Benson Kuany Latjor, marched towards Ethiopia in protest against the government's actions. General Duit and other Anya-Nya II leaders became involved in a series of military and political realignments during the liberation struggle.
Following the establishment of Bilpam, General Duit and other Anya-Nya II leaders experienced leadership disagreements with Dr John Garang and Samuel Gai Tut. Years later, negotiations between the Anya-Nya II leadership and the SPLA led to agreements aimed at bringing elements of the movement into the SPLA in 1989. However, the movement experienced another major division following the 1991 Nasir Declaration.
General Duit remained with the forces led by General Gordon Koang Chuol, known as the South Sudan Defence Forces (SSDF), until 2012. On May 5, 2012, General Duit and his fighters crossed from Blue Nile State in Sudan into Upper Nile State in South Sudan. He and his force, travelling in eight Toyota Land Cruisers, peacefully joined the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) in Adar, Upper Nile State.
General Duit was among the veterans whose military journey spanned different chapters of South Sudan's struggle for freedom. He served during Anyanya I, Anyanya II and the Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M), dedicating many years to the liberation struggle. His generation included some of the historical military figures who devoted their lives to the liberation of the country.
General Duit's death marks the loss of a veteran figure associated with the history of South Sudan's liberation struggle and the establishment of Bilpam. His passing is not merely the loss of an individual but also the loss of another living connection to the history, sacrifices, experiences and struggles that shaped the liberation of the country.
Key points
- General John Duit Yiech Tuach, a veteran liberation figure, has died in Ethiopia.
- General Duit was a strategic architect of South Sudan's freedom and a living custodian of the country's liberation history.
- He played a significant role in the establishment of Bilpam, the historic military training base of the Anya-Nya II and later the SPLA.
