The army has a special place for the many men and women who have contributed to its course with dedication throughout there lives. Some have even paid the ultimate price of death.
The eruption of the second civil war in Southern Sudan in 1983 between the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) and Khartoum had seen many Southern Sudanese joining the liberation movement.
Influential personalities in the names of SPLM/A hero of all times late Dr. John Garang de Mabior, Kerubino Kuanyin Bol and William Nyuon have played significant roles in the liberation of the marginalized people of the Sudan.
This Week's Veteran - Brigadier General David Manyok Barach
In this first edition, our important guest is Brigadier-General David Manyok Barach, the director of procurement in the SPLA general headquarters.
Brig. Barach was born in 1959 at Kolnyieng cattle camp in Kongor District, some 50 kilometres north of Bor town. During his childhood, Brigadier Barach moved between the cattle camp and the village.
Because of a growing need for productive work force in Southern Sudan in 1960s, Brigadier Barach joined a primary school in Bor town in 1968, before joining Bor intermediate school five years later.
After a successful four years spelt at Bor Intermediate, Brigadier Barach as lucky as he was, got an intrigue admission to Tonj technical school, however, Barach could not complete his course there and decided to join Renk secondary school, where he sat for his Sudan school certificate in 1982.
Barach then came back to his home town of Bor in 1983 after a number of years at school. While, Brigadier Barach had hoped to spend some good time with his relatives, the second civil war between the SPLM/A and the Government of Sudan suddenly erupted in 1983. This forced him to join his fellow comrades in the bush in the same year.
He was trained originally with Jamus battalion, the second force to be trained after the 104 and 105 battalions and graduated in 1984 as signal personnel. After completing his military training, Barach was dispatched to battlefields, where he participated in various battles in Upper Nile region.
He was recalled to Ethiopia by the SPLA leadership where he attended cadet training. He graduated as a 2nd Lieutenant in October 1984. Brigadier Barach was sent back to frontline and participated in many battles until the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed in January 2005. He went through numerous promotions and is now a Brigadier in the SPLA.
After the CPA, Brigadier Barach was first posted to Malakal as operation officer of Division one. Unfortunately, he could not report to his unit due to sudden sickness.
After recovering from sickness, he was redeployed and appointed as the Director of Procurement in the SPLA General Headquarters, a post he holds until now. His Directorate is charge with the provision of SPLA needs including food, vehicles, armament, services and fuel.
Promising a long term loyalty to the country, Brigadier Barach hope to see the national dream of realising “a free Southern Sudan” materializes before his personal dreams. Once this national goal is accomplished, he would go and spend some quality time with his family since he has been away from them for over two decades.
It is important to note that Brigadier Barach is married with two wives and blessed with seven children. In fact, his elder son had opted to join the SPLA and is now training to become a future South Sudan Air Force pilot.
His message to Southern Sudanese is that they should be united; and discard tribalism, nepotism and any other vice that drags Southerners to darkness.
He urges anyone in the SPLA to respect the civil population adding that it was the support of the civil population that culminated into the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.