Radio Miraya
2776: "The Man of Two Worlds": A Conversation with Ustaz Lewis Anei Madut-Kuendit
Yes, good morning once again. It's 28 minutes to 9 a.m. And as we continue with the Miraya breakfast show, we now get to look at a book that is about to be launched. The launch will be happening tomorrow. And this book is called The Man of Two Worlds. It's a new book authored by Honorable Ustar's Louis Neimadut. He was the first former commissioner of Tange, North County. First Governor War up state, national advisor to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, former chairman of the Republican Party of South Sudan and currently a community leader of the Tange community here in Juba is joining us this morning to speak more about the book Good Morning, Honorable A.m. Welcome to Miraya breakfast show. Thank you, Sister Lucy Kiden of the Miraya FMI AM privilege and honored to be hosted by Radiom Raya FM, that is covering our nation with news. I am now available for our audience. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. And looking at your, let me call it a CV, you have done a lot. You have bid first of many and you have led in very many different aspects of South Sudan as a country and the community as well. What inspired you to get into writing? I, in fact, something I can say is an in it or in one thing in me that the concept or idea to be a writer developing me very early. I can say is what led me to abandon my education in science and came to University of Juba in the early 80s in order to do arts where I realized that I must study history and study language and literature to be able to tackle my writing inclination. And so I came to Jama Juba in order to equip myself with the ability to write and I got it when I graduated from the University of Juba in 1990. And then right away from there I started how to write a book. So I made a research about the history of my people and that led to finalizing it into a book called the Dinka history. And it was that your first book? That was my first book and it became a masterpiece work of somebody who actually had wanted to do that thing. And it is a hobby. Oh, it's a hobby. It is a hobby. So I wrote many books now. How many so far? This book to be presented tomorrow is the F. Wow. Amazing. It is. So the man of two worlds. Yes, the man of the two worlds. Of the two worlds. What's the inspiration behind this book? This book has many things that led to me formulating an idea to write this kind of a book with such kind of a name. First of all, in 1996, while we were wondering in the movement in the bushes, I came across a spot, an amazing spot in our area where the remains of my very important and Chester were late. My ancestor by the name of I. The site where his remains were late was so, you know, so amazing, so religious because he's surrounded by very big trees that are believed to have something to do with religion. This type of trees. These are these red psychomorph trees. Okay. And the Belenite Yupik trees, we call it Thao, the Lich. And then the other tree called Roy in our language, in our Dinka language. And it is Suseh tree in English. And other trees that are related to religious people like my grandfather. Yes. There I realized that now that I am a historian and I can better write about him and about his descent line up to me. And I thought that is where the concept of writing my autobiography began because it was quite a great man. I was told by my father and my grandfather that this ancestor was the leader of the entire, in his time in the 16th century. And so if he can have been a leader of such a live tribe among the Dinka in Barz-Gazal, then why should I not write about him? So the book is a tribute to my ancestor. Wow. Yeah. Who was a leader? He was a community leader. And now I am a community leader also. So it has run down. Run down. My father was a community leader. Oh wow. And one of the grandfathers in the middle between him and us was also a community leader. So he's a line of community leaders. I must tell people about this. Of community leaders and currently you are a community leader. Now before I continue with you talking about this book, I would like to request for you to read and accept from the book. I see you came with your manuscript. You didn't even come with a book. You came with the original copy or the privilege to be able to see it. So is this something you can do for us? Well, I knew that perhaps I would be asked about something to cite. Yes. The book is divided into two. The beginning of it is about my background, talking about how my family came to exist. Then towards the end of the book is about my education and how did I become an arrogant man of today's modernity. And what did I do in the rural traditional setting where I was born and where I grew up? What did I do there? Yes. And what did I do when I came to the urbanized places like towns and education and become a liberation man, become a teacher, become a writer, become a governor, become a commissioner and all this. What did I do in all this? So, well, I have very exciting points, episodes in the story which I don't know which one to share with you right now. Unfortunately, you just have to be quiet. Please, let me talk about what happened to us when we were young students, when we were pupils in 1964 at the primary school called my Yom Abun. Go ahead. You know when the Yom Abun movement started from Torit and was flourishing, coming up and up until our district area called Torit in Barriazar. Then we were inspired by the Yom Abun objectives. Young people who were preparing how to join the movement and some government agents reported this thing to the government in WoW and in Torit and so a military military convoy was mounted against us in the school and then we were all arrested and we were to be taken away to WoW. Some of us were just being beaten up and before we could be taken onto the trucks. All at a sudden, by Providence, a heavy rain just gathered from nowhere and it fell down making the army soldiers to run into the classrooms and we running into our dormitories, right from the dormitories in the heavy rains, we escaped and there we were saved. Some of the pupils or students, we choose to remain where it's allotted there after with our teachers. Oh, it's allotted and that was the aim of our education at that level in 1964. This is amazing. Oh, wow. I think what level was that? It was primary four. We were in primary port. See how things happen. I don't know how the rain came. Wow. In your life was spared. I thought I should share with our readers this experience. I can't imagine how many more such stories are there in the book, but thank you for sharing this specific one with us. Yes, there are many, many of it. Okay. You can see what happened in the annual one. If I were to be like that, I had to decide some of the examples. Because this is exactly what happened. That's crazy. You were one just. I was about yours, but I was a soldier. And then in the SPLA, why is it a lot? Yeah. A lot of things to mention in the book. Well, I can't wait to actually get into the book and hear some of your experiences all through your life in these different positions and moving from one place to another. But now, I want to ask you about the title of the book. The book is called the Man of the Two Worlds. What are the two worlds? The rural traditional world and the urban, more than technological world I am in. Wow. The one we are now doing. So you have been able to experience both worlds inequality. I equally experience those two worlds and whatever makes up those worlds. And just in summary, what have you picked from your experience in these two worlds? I actually did not write down the entire life history. Yes. But I have picked up those striking points from the traditional and rural world and from the urban and modern world I had lived to be 70 years now. I thought I have picked up those episodes and scenes and stories that are striking. I remember at my own again, there was a problem between our traditional spearmaster, the holy man of the area, he was called Aquian. What was the role of a spearmaster? A spearmaster is a holy man, is a high priest of the dink of people. Aquian did. Aquian the great had a problem with a priest, an Italian, called Ibo cicache. He was made by the bishop of Barlegazale in Wao, here now, to come and establish a missionary school in the place of this spearmaster. And so the school grew to be called Mayom Abun. Abun means the missionary. And Aquian did was not happy why his area was to be called after a foreigner and Abun missionary. Why not Mayom Aba Aquian did? Then they went into a quarrel. And in the quarrel, they agreed to make a contest. Who is really true holy man of God between the priest and the spearmaster? Then people were made together. And in the gathering, the priest thought it should take the first opportunity to speak to God, to make a miracle so that Aquian did and his people become convinced that the priest is the man of God. Yes, he was allowed to speak to God, to pray. And then all at a sudden, some people came running saying, "Aye, Aquian did. Your cows are eaten up here, free cows by the lions." The lion just came into your cattle that were being heard nearby. And now they are eaten in three cows. So people thought that was the decision. And then Aquian said, "Okay, let me take my turn." And then he took his spears and he was his holy spears. They are called invocational spears. How many are they? Two. And then he began to talk to God, heaven, what? Asking God to him instantly make what would prove to this priest, to this wilderness, that God is responsible for people here and that he is the agent of God among people. All at a sudden, rain gathered and began to thunder so much that the priest and his stuff fell down and the buildings were bent. Oh dear. Wow. Why were you a witness of that? I was there. Wow. And so the whole thing became, how do you call that kind of miracle? Do you just call it a miracle? It was, it was. And so the priest ran about running a mug after Aquian did, asking him to stop the rain. Oh dear. Asking him to stop God from banning and wanting to kill people. So Aquian did begin to ask for rain to stop. Did it stop? And the rain stopped. Wow. Such spectacular events you've been able to witness. And now due to time we'll be concluding this. And I just want to ask you to tell us a little bit more about the event that is going to launch this book that I already know has very interesting stories. When is this happening? It is tomorrow, Saturday from 11 to 5 p.m. I have asked the intellectuals of this country to come and attend at Palm Africa Hotel Hall. Okay. This is where I and my friends in the organizing committee are working now to convene this kind of a good gathering tomorrow. Wow. Amazing. You're a wonderful storyteller. This very moment you just reminded me of my grandfather when we used to sit around the fire back in the village. Yes. Yes. Thank you. Thank you very much about around the fire are there in the book. Yes. Yes. Now you've you've done a lot. You've been present since the Ananya War all through to now you've witnessed so much. And next week we'll be celebrating 13 years of independence. What message do you have for the people? That is it. I am pleased and happy to have been a participant of these liberation stages. The first one when I was quite a young man and the second one when I was a grown up man, I know and I told my experiences and stories in this book about those two stages. Yes. I want to tell my people happy new year. That is it. Happy independence. Happy for our freedom. Let us come together. Let us unite and make our country. We have already established what we call nationhood and its sovereignty. Now we are supposed to go to what we call nation building. So please let us leave all those our grudges and come back to make our country go forward. I think this is the goal I can make to my people. Let us be civilized. Okay. Yes. Thank you very much vulnerable and thank you for making time to come to Radio Mirai. Thank you Sister Kiden for hosting me, for taking attention that there is something happening tomorrow when you invited me. I'm happy that you put me on air for my people to hear me tomorrow. I will be with them. Thank you. Thank you very much. You were right too. Well, Honorable Louis and a their former and the first governor over upstate. He's a current community leader in Tunch and he is launching an autobiography, The Man of the Two Worlds. As you've heard, this is happening tomorrow from 11 a.m. at the Pam Africa Hotel. You want to get to know more about this book and get yourself a copy. Make sure that you are there. We are listening to Radio Mirai, The Voice of Peace.