The history of South Sudan cannot be told without remembering the leadership of Dr John Garang, the founding leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M). His death on July 30, 2005, in a helicopter crash, not only marked the end of a man, but also the eclipse of a national vision. For many South Sudanese, the loss of Garang signaled the collapse of the ideals that had driven decades of armed struggle and sacrifice. The liberation struggle, once filled with hope, unity, and a shared sense of destiny, has been reduced to fractured politics, selfish leadership, and the betrayal of the people’s dreams.
Garang was born in 1945 in Bor, Jonglei State, into a humble family. His early childhood exposed him to the realities of marginalization in the Southern Sudanese regions under Khartoum’s dominance. He later pursued higher education in East Africa and the United States, where he obtained a Ph.D. in economics from Iowa State University. His studies broadened his understanding of governance, resource distribution, and the socio-economic roots of inequality.
This background shaped his political philosophy. He saw Sudan not simply as a North-South conflict, but as a deeply unjust system where resources and power were concentrated in the hands of a few in Khartoum. His vision, therefore, was for a united, secular, democratic country where no one would feel like a second-class citizen. This vision went beyond ethnicity, religion, or geography, and it appealed to the marginalized groups across Sudan.
Garang was more than a military commander. He was a visionary intellectual and a charismatic mobilizer. He articulated his dream with clarity and conviction, emphasizing justice, equality, and dignity. His speeches inspired households across Southern Sudan to volunteer their sons and daughters for the liberation cause. Many parents, believing in his vision, willingly gave their children to fight for freedom.
Garang fought for resource redistribution, ending slavery and forced labor, and promoting fair governance. He carried himself as a leader for all Sudanese, earning respect even among Northern progressives. His ideology elevated the SPLA/M from being just another rebel force to becoming a political movement with a concrete vision for systemic change.
He also understood that liberation required ideology. “Without ideology, a movement loses direction,” he often reminded his followers. This ideological foundation gave SPLA/M a moral high ground, making its cause just in the eyes of the oppressed.
The death of Garang in July 2005, barely three weeks after being sworn in as Sudan’s First Vice President under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), was a devastating blow. His absence created a leadership vacuum that exposed deep divisions within SPLA/M.
Instead of carrying forward his vision, many leaders shifted to survival politics. Opportunism replaced ideology. Ethnic loyalties, corruption, and militarism eroded the once-strong foundation of unity. The very movement that had promised to deliver freedom, dignity, and prosperity became a vehicle for personal enrichment.
SPLA/M fractured into factions, each led by individuals more interested in power than in national progress. These divisions paralyzed governance, hindered development, and trapped South Sudan in recurring cycles of war and instability.
The CPA, signed in January 2005, was supposed to be Garang’s crowning achievement—a framework for resolving decades of conflict between the North and the South. It granted Southerners autonomy and the right to self-determination through a referendum. Garang had envisioned transforming Sudan as a whole, rather than merely securing independence.
His death, however, shifted the focus. The SPLA/M leadership, lacking his strategic vision, pursued independence without addressing the governance challenges he warned about. South Sudan inherited weak institutions, ethnic polarization, and a culture of impunity. The opportunity to build a nation grounded on ideology was squandered.
Ordinary South Sudanese—children, mothers, the elderly, and people with disabilities—continue to bear the cost of failed leadership. Instead of enjoying the fruits of independence, millions remain dependent on humanitarian aid for survival. Access to basic services like healthcare, clean water, and education remains among the lowest in the world.
Garang once warned: “Do not allow yourselves to be made second-class citizens in your own country.” Sadly, this has become a reality. A small elite, many of whom never participated in the liberation struggle, live in modern houses, earn hefty salaries, drive expensive cars, and send their children abroad for education, while the majority live in poverty.
Garang’s metaphor of the hunters waiting to devour the animal once it was killed, has tragically come true. Those who sacrificed little now feast on the spoils of independence, while the true liberators and their families languish in suffering.
Since independence, South Sudan has witnessed one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Civil wars in 2013 and 2016 displaced millions, destroyed livelihoods, and deepened ethnic divisions. The economy collapsed, inflation soared, and hunger spread across the nation.
This is not the South Sudan Garang envisioned. His dream was for a country that would be different from other African states plagued by corruption and tribalism. Instead, South Sudan has become a textbook example of state failure. The betrayal of the liberation promise has left many disillusioned, questioning whether the sacrifices of decades were in vain.
One of Garang’s greatest strengths was his ability to give the movement an ideological direction. His teachings emphasized unity, justice, and the building of institutions. Yet after his death, SPLA/M lost this compass. Leaders who succeeded him lack both his intellectual depth and his political vision.
Illiteracy in governance, corruption, and greed have dominated the leadership. The movement has degenerated into a party of patronage, where loyalty is bought with positions rather than earned through service. The absence of ideological grounding has made independence hollow and the nation unstable.
It is now more urgent than ever for South Sudan to revisit Garang’s vision. His call for justice, equality, and unity must not remain buried with him. Reviving his ideology would mean rebuilding institutions, rejecting corruption, and prioritizing people-centered governance.
Garang’s legacy challenges both leaders and citizens to reflect: What was the true purpose of liberation? Who has actually benefited from independence? How can the nation reclaim the dream of dignity and prosperity?
To honor his memory is not just to celebrate his life, but to recommit to his ideals. It means creating a South Sudan where every citizen has access to healthcare, education, and opportunities, regardless of tribe or status. It means building a country where no one feels marginalized.
The death of Garang was not only the loss of a leader but also the loss of a vision that could have transformed South Sudan. In his absence, SPLA/M lost its ideological compass, fractured into factions, and betrayed the very people it had promised to liberate.
Yet South Sudan can still reclaim Garang’s dream if leaders and citizens alike choose justice over corruption, unity over division, and service over selfishness. Independence should never serve the interests of a few but must embody the collective freedom of all. Only by revisiting the dream of its founding leader can South Sudan truly become the nation he envisioned: a country where all are equal heirs to the hard-won fruits of liberation.
The writer, Mogga Loyo, is a social researcher and peace advocate. He can be reached via mogtomloyo@yahoo.co.uk.
The views expressed in ‘opinion’ articles published by Radio Tamazuj are solely those of the writer. The veracity of any claims made is the responsibility of the author, not Radio Tamazuj.