Capt. James joined the liberation struggle in 1987. He graduated from the military field as a Sergeant Major; the rank he maintained until February 2005 when he met the late Dr. John Garang and got promoted to the rank of Captain at once. Since then, he never received another promotion.
During the massive expulsion of Arabs in 1997, James fought like a lion. He was always the subject of discussion after every battle.
When asked why he was more committed to war than to pastoralism, he said he hated being a second-class citizen and that, he wanted a country of his own where he would be entitled to every right. Injustices such as oppression, unequal job opportunities, isolation of Southern Sudan, and illegal killings of Southern Sudanese were among the outrageous reasons why James committed to liberating South Sudan.
For good three days fighting with Arabs in Wau, James ran out of bullets and that made him seek refuge. Things did not work in favour of James. He was caught by Arabs, handicapped and driven to a woman who had her husband killed on the battlefield. She was weeping unceasingly and that angered Arabs to look for a giant South Sudanese to kill for revenge. They gave the woman a sharpened machete and instructed her to chop the hands of James and left him to bleed to death. They had wanted him to die a painful death.
Without mercy, the woman chopped off the hands of James and left him bleeding profusely. When one’s registered day of death has not yet come, one may survive fatalities. James was shortly rescued by an SPLA soldier sent for spying. But James’ hands were already ischemic; a condition that later forced orthopaedic surgeons to amputate James’ hands. James spent the rest of his military life armless and non-commissioned until February 2005 when he led soldiers marching for the reception of late Dr. John Garang de Mabior in Rumbek town.
As if God had planned it so, Sgt James caught the attention of Dr. John Garang to the point he (Garang) approached him and inquired what led to his armlessness. Of course, you very well know how easy Dr. John Garang was. After paying a wreckful ear to Sgt James, Dr. John Garang elevated James from Sergeant Major to Captain at once; a military rank he still maintains today. Of course, the caring freedom fighter and the close-to-people C-in-C is no more. No one else is there to look after SPLA veterans. Anyway!
Capt. James was transferred to Wounded Heroes swath, where he earns a living only on the government salary. If the salary goes missing, like it is now, James’ life turns from bad to worse. If 11 months are spent without a salary, like it is now in South Sudan, James’ life turns from worse to worse. A month ago, the government paid salaries to specific public institutions. Maybe such institutions are the stones on which South Sudan stands, why knows?
Upon arrival, Capt. James was given his salary and when he confirmed it, he found out that half of it had been cut for unclear reasons. When he inquired who cut the money and for what reason, he was branded a self-proclaimed wounded hero; an insult he and his colleagues once received from the 14th former Minister of Finance and Planning. What else could the armless Capt. James do? He bit his lip, with rolls of tears flowing down his cheeks, and said, if Dr. John Garang resurrects today, he would not die of a helicopter crash, but he would die of a heart attack.
Which country on earth continues approving fiscal year budgets, but soldiers and civil servants end up receiving salaries twice or thrice a year? I thought I would not sustain any injury again after I had fought tooth and nail to liberate South Sudan. Arabs cut my beautiful hands and finance officers cut my undeserving salary, what did I do to deserve this maltreatment, Capt. James concludes.
Thank you for reading “Sowing The Seed Of Truth”.