SOUTH SUDAN: SSPDF Commander Lt. Gen. David Majur Dak Laid To Rest Tn Juba

By Debora Akur Chol, South Sudan

The late Lt. Gen. David Majur Dak, commander of the South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF), was laid to rest at the Heroes Cemetery in Simba Grounds, Juba, on Wednesday.

The ceremony was conducted with full military honors, including a 21-gun salute.

Lt. Gen. Majur was tragically killed alongside 27 of his bodyguards in Nasir County, Upper Nile State, on March 7. The attack occurred during an attempt to evacuate him by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

The country’s Vice President in charge of the Economic Cluster, Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel, led the mourning ceremony, where numerous senior government and military officials gathered to bid the commander farewell. Dr. Mel emphasized the need for unity and urged the people of South Sudan to refrain from acts of vengeance.

“We all call for dialogue, and dialogue brings peace. We call for the unity of our people in South Sudan, we must unite and live together. Yes, it is a painful time to see such incidents, but all in all, we have to remain strong,” Dr. Mel said. “To the youth, we call for calm across the country. Refrain from revenge, because it leads nowhere.”

Senior Presidential Advisor Kuol Manyang Juuk expressed gratitude toward President Salva Kiir Mayardit for bestowing upon Lt. Gen. Majur a state funeral.

“We thank our President, Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit, commander-in-chief of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces and other regular forces, for granting our brother, Gen. Majur, who was killed in Nasir alongside his soldiers, a state funeral,” Juuk said.

Chief of Defense Forces Gen. Paul Nang Majok described the late commander as a hero and a true embodiment of the SPLA soldier’s spirit.

“We are immensely proud of Lieutenant General David Majur Dak, who died a hero. He truly symbolized the identity of the SPLA soldiers and never wavered in the face of his enemies,” Gen. Nang stated. “We are honored to lay him to rest among his colleagues and family.”

Gen. Nang also assured that the bodies of the soldiers killed in Nasir County alongside Lt. Gen. Majur would be retrieved and given a proper burial.