Introduction
In a world where every problem or suffering is attributed to God, South Sudan is not exempt, but is playing the same belief, not just in the Church but also in the Government circles. Shocking! In a highly disputed or controversial statement that awakened immediate reaction, Gen. Kuol Manyang Juuk, a Senior Presidential Advisor and member of South Sudan’s ruling party, known as Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), attributed the nation’s progressive conflicts and suffering of the South Sudanese not to the government failure, but to a “biblical curse” foretold in the Old Testament Book of Isaiah 18.[1]
The claim that the SPLM or any leader is not responsible because the turmoil is merely the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy against “Sudan” (citing the land of Cush in Isaiah 18) is not only a betrayal of biblical integrity, but a running away from accountability and responsibility. Though this idea is embraced by many who feel “good” because the “country exists in the prophecy,” it is roundly rejected by a few church leaders, civil society, and many citizens. Remember, I’m not endorsing any political party, but give what I believe to be true about the saying, “Our suffering is a biblical curse, not SPLM making.”[2] This article will highlight why the “Biblical curse” is not the problem for South Sudan, but human failure or sin. It will deconstruct Juuk’s defense of South Sudan’s crisis.
The need for the cause
Indeed, most of the time, we as humans tend to shift blame to God when we don’t understand or are helpless in life. It is not something new only to the people of South Sudan, but it is present everywhere and in every nation. People or leaders tend to shift the blame to God in order to avoid responsibility or accountability. If we look at what Gen. Juuk says, “I tell people we [SPLM] are not responsible and not to be blamed for this insecurity. This is something prophesied by the prophet Isaiah. God punished Sudan, and we are the Sudanese.” This view presents a profound theological error from a biblical perspective, specifically regarding God’s sovereignty and man’s accountability.
Juuk’s defense seems simple yet exhaustive. To analyse this statement, this controversy serves a clear political purpose: to exonerate the ruling party from accountability and responsibility for the civil war, corruption, and humanitarian crises that have plagued the new nation since its independence (July/9/2011). To map the suffering of South Sudanese as a predestined, immutable curse, not to be changed by how we can work as citizens, renders the political action moot, because human responsibility is dismissed. Juuk, in his opinion, seems more political, but he never realizes that it would come back to the question of why we need leaders, then. Why do Sudanese need leaders who would not then be responsible or accountable if everything is predestined for the Sudan? Why is there a judicial system? The truth is, we do not need all those things if the “biblical curse” is the problem for us. If curse is the responsible factor for all atrocities in the South, then we are deceiving ourselves by electing leaders, thinking the same smile of the referendum will return to our hearts and faces. A thief would not be blamed, according to Juuk’s statement. A cattle raider would not be blamed, according to Juuk’s statement. A murderer and raper would not be accountable or responsible according to Juuk’s statement. Why? Everything happened because of the “biblical curse,” not people, government, or their association.
Is it South Sudan or Napata?
To be honest, I love South Sudan so much, and I would love it if the Bible referenced it. However, concerning this prophecy in Isaiah 18, it is not a reference to South Sudan but the Kingdom of Cush in the 8th century BC, and it was an oracle judgment against it. As a child, I grew up with the same mind, thinking that Isaiah 18 is speaking about South Sudan. I used to hear this interpretation on the radio programs during the early days of our Independence. I used to listen to bishops, pastors, and evangelists preaching and quoting the same passage from time to time that South Sudan is the nation Isaiah 18 foretold, 2,000 years ago.
In a news Journal, an article titled, Some South Sudanese believe independence foretold in Bible, stated, “Paleak said he has not come to a ‘100 percent conclusion’ on whether the prophecy really refers to southern Sudan’s independence, but Pastor Malok Deng, at Nashville’s Sudanese Ministry Bible Church, is certain.”[3] It is true that not only church members but also the church leaders in the South believe in what Juuk seems to articulate. However, they seem not to know that this interpretation misrepresents the nature of biblical prophecy, particularly the oracles against the nations found in Isaiah (Kingdom of Cush (Napata)). Let’s look at this table to point out why South Sudan is not the focus.
| Why South Sudan Is Not the Primary | ||
| Details in Isaiah 18 | Matches Northern Sudan (Napata/Meroë) | Does Not Match South Sudan |
| “Beyond the rivers of Cush” | From Judah’s view: south of Egypt, past the cataracts → Napata | South Sudan is further south, beyond even Meroë. |
| “Nation tall and smooth” | Kushites are famous for height & shaved heads (Assyrian reliefs). | Applies broadly, but not uniquely, to South Sudanese. |
| Diplomatic envoys | The 25th Dynasty sent ambassadors to Judah (2 Kings 19). | No evidence of South Sudanese envoys in 700 BC. |
According to this table, we see the distinctions between the prophecy and South Sudan. We see that there is no evidence that the South had sent envoys in 700 BC to the Jews. John D.W. Watts, in his Word Biblical Commentary on Isaiah 18, says, “Woe does not introduce a curse on Cush (Ethiopia). It is a cry of dismay by the Jerusalemites at the news that the delegation is approaching.”[4] This is a fact; the curse is never introduced by the woe in this context; it’s a cry of dismay, even if it could be South Sudan or Sudan. Again, Watts stated that “Cush is the land of Ethiopia or Nubia, which at this time (700 BC) had its capital at Napata above the Fourth cataract.” Could we say South Sudan has a capital called Napata? I have never heard of such a thing since I was a child. South Sudan is not Napata, it’s not Nubia, and neither is Ethiopia. What is this prophecy about? Is it about a curse or a sin? The next point will address it in a manner that is faithful to the biblical text of Isaiah 18.
Prophecy is about sin, not fate or predestination
To break it down, Adeboye, in his book, says, “Many Africans see curses as forms of social justice and of retributive justice that those who are offended but do not have physical means of revenge administered through the use of negative words as a punishment. These words are believed to invoke misfortunes which can affect all the areas of life of the cursed: social, spiritual, and physical.”[5] This idea does not seem to be in place, based on Juuk’s statement. His argument is more of blaming God than calling people to turn from their sin to God. Though in Isaiah, repentance is the goal, not evasion of responsibility and accountability, Juuk seems not to own the whole prophecy, if it were for the South. He embraces the curse part of it, but not repentance.
However, if we ask ourselves in the South, is cursing the cause of injustice, conflict, and hunger for power, or is sin the cause? Firstly, let’s see what the biblical concept of a curse is. Is a curse a random, or an eternal sentence? The answer is that it is not a random or eternal sentence, but a consequence of moral disobedience, and a judgment against specific sins. According to The New Bible Dictionary, the curse consists of the Hebrew words, ’ārar, qālal, and ’ālâ, corresponding to the Greek words ‘kataraomai, katara, and epikataratos,’ and the Hebrew words, heḥreeîm and ḥērem, corresponding to the Greek words, anathematizō and anathema.[6] The writer also narrated that when God pronounces a curse, it is, a., a denunciation of sin (Nu. 5:21, 23; Dt. 29:19–20), b. His judgment on sin (Nu. 5:22, 24, 27; Is. 24:6), and c., the person who is suffering the consequences of sin by the judgment of God is called a curse (Nu. 5:21, 27; Je. 29:18).[7] In this explanation, curses are never the cause of suffering, conflict, inJustice, no accountability, hatred, tribalism, and rebellion, but disobedience to God, whether from the leaders or the people of the South, is the cause of atrocities in our country.
One thing to consider is whether we should say that believers in Christ are under that curse in South Sudan, which could be unimaginable due to the finished works of Christ on the cross. Are there no believers in South Sudan? If believers are there in South Sudan, no curse on their necks today (Romans 8:1-2; 2 Corinthians 5:17; John 8:36, etc.). It is injustice, oppression, and failure in leadership that cause the problem, not a “biblical curse.” In the Old Testament, we see the prophets, including Isaiah, condemning nations for injustice, oppression, and failing to care for the poor. Was that a curse or a failure of their leadership? Indeed, it is a failure of leadership that comes from going astray from the path of God.
As a cleric. Garang stated in response to Juuk, the Scriptura is clear: “When people go astray… what God wants us to do is just to turn back to him and repent and confess our sin.”[8] Indeed, the response to sin is to turn from it and turn to God. The response is never to be silent, seek comfort, or deny responsibility, but to be remorseful and ask God for forgiveness. South Sudanese suffering is not a random “fate” or “predestination,” but the predictable result of unaddressed sins like corruption, hatred, tribalism, and bloodshed, sins widely attributed to the political kingpins and religious elite since the independence of our beloved country. Do we fold our hands and say our suffering is a biblical curse and not SPLM making, like what Juuk says? No, we, including the SPLM, are the cause of all the atrocities in our beloved nation. It’s not God who is committing those atrocities; we are responsible and accountable for them. May we be reminded that when Jesus returns and demands an account of what we have done, the explanation will not be; it was a curse from the Bible, but a result of our own choices or making, if I may use Juuk’s word (Matthew 24:13-30). All of us, including SPLM, in our country have a role to play that God has given us, and we are responsible to God. If we are to follow the main goal or intent of Isaiah 18, we need to embrace the full scope of the prophecy. What do we do then if sin is the problem? The next point will address it vividly.
A call to faith and future hope
The context of Isaiah 18 is a call to faith and future Hope, and never a call to avoid responsibility or accountability. Rev. Garang says, “the country’s leaders are not to sit back and attribute administrative challenges to the Bible.” They have responsibility is the whole idea in this statement. The prophecy addresses the powerful people of Cush, is complex. It was never an end in itself, but a call to faith and hope also.
While Isaiah’s prophecy contains warnings of divine intervention (verses 4-6), it ultimately concludes with a vision of redemption and worship (verse 7). We see in verse 7 that this nation will one day bring a “present” or “tribute” to the Lord on Mount Zion. This means the prophecy moves from judgment to future reconciliation. However, to cling only to the idea of a “curse” is to embrace fatalism and ignore the prophetic call for the people and leaders to change their ways in anticipation of God’s redemptive plan. The whole idea is never a curse but reconciliation and faith in God. If the South is the main focus, why not seek reconciliation and forgiveness? Why not repent and confess our sin to one another? Are we not addressing the root of our problem, or do we stick to the idea of “biblical curse?” Is it a curse or us? No! We are the problem, not a “biblical curse.” We must say something about our suffering, and not be quiet about what is never true in the bible. Why is the biblical curse not the case for the South? The last section will address it amicably.
The political and ethical failure
Truth to be told, the most significant danger of the “biblical curse” defense is the ethical vacuum it creates. South Sudan’s troubles are not abstract punishments; they are tangible failures of governance and the people. Today, if there is a curse that we can call out, it is corruption that is troubling our community. This is evidenced by our country consistently ranking among the world’s most corrupt. Moreover, mismanagement of oil revenue and systemic looting of resources directly cause the failure of public services, not the biblical curse, as Juuk started earlier.
Furthermore, the power struggles in our State are one of the things that contributed to the suffering of the people of the South. The 2013 and 2016 civil wars were not divine acts (biblical curse) but the products of political disagreements and a violent struggle for power among the same political elites who form the SPLM. The question would be, are we really doing justice to the context of our country’s troubles if we say it’s a biblical curse? No, we are not, but embracing what is not the true source of our problem.
Lastly, the lack of service delivery within our State is another factor that causes suffering, cattle raiding, and rapes in our country. Today, millions remain displaced (IDP camps and Refugee Camps), facing acute hunger and poverty. We stand at a critical juncture, facing the undeniable truth that our leaders are failing us. The vast potential and untapped resources of this nation are squandered, either through sheer neglect or outright mismanagement and corruption.
The people, who should be the architects and beneficiaries of the progress of this country, are instead treated as a public spectacle, victims of continuous hardship and broken promises. People in power profess to serve, but not only consume their personal income, they also actively misappropriate the last meager resources and security of the poorest citizens. To be clear, a leader’s primary duty is to safeguard and elevate their people, not to humiliate them while pillaging their future. With those above points, Juuk’s statement in a small summary is an attempt to evade responsibility and accountability, and embrace shifting blame to God.
Conclusion
In fact, the bible does not offer us, or political leaders, a license to sin under the blanket of “curse,” but rather holds us to a higher standard of justice and righteousness. In Juuk’s statement, South Sudanese are in a stage of not being responsible and accountable, but under a predestined curse that only God can remove. However, that’s not true, whether Christian or non-Christian; to govern is to be accountable to both God and your people.
To anyone who believes Isaiah 18 is referencing the South, know our suffering is not a curse, but a sincere moral indictment that demands repentance and political action from its leaders, not a passive resignation to a misinterpreted Scripture. Our country’s future hinges not on waiting for an ancient curse to expire, but on the living choices made today; to pursue justice, establish the rule of law, and genuinely serve the common good of every citizen. We cry for an immediate end to this cycle of greed, incompetence, and waste if we want our State to thrive. We cannot afford to “fold our hands” and passively wait for an end, simply because of a misinterpretation claim we are cursed. Because the bible says we are cursed and therefore fold your hands until it’s finished.
Bibliography
Adeboye, Godwin O. Can a Christian Be Cursed? An African Evangelical Response to the Problem of Curses. HippoBooks, 2023.
ed. 2025. “The New Bible Dictionary, 3rd Ed.” Logos.com. 2025. https://www.logos.com/product/310/the-new-bible-dictionary-3rd-ed?utm_source=logos-web-app&utm_medium=contextual-upsell&utm_content=resource-null.
George Arthur Buttrick. 1984. The Interpreter’s Bible: Ecclesiastes. Song of Songs. Isaiah. Jeremiah. P 275-278.
Isaiah. 2022. “Isaiah 1-33, Revised Edition (Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 24 | WBC).” p 245, Logos.com. 2022. https://www.logos.com/product/3231/isaiah-1-33-revised-edition.
[1]https://www.africa-press.net/south-sudan/all-news/our-suffering-is-biblical-curse-not-splm-making-says-kurealizeJuuk’sopinionJuuk’sseemJuuk’s,
[2]https://www.africa-press.net/south-sudan/all-news/our-suffering-is-biblical-curse-not-splm-making-says-kurealizeJuuk’sopinionJuuk’sseemJuuk’s,
[3] LOLLER, TRAVIS. 2011. “Some South Sudanese Believe Independence Foretold in Bible.” Daytona Beach News-Journal Online. The Daytona Beach News-Journal. January 29, 2011. https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/2011/01/29/some-south-sudanese-believe-independence-foretold-in-bible/30571350007/.
[4] Isaiah. 2022. “Isaiah 1-33, Revised Edition (Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 24 | WBC).” p 245, Logos.com. 2022. https://www.logos.com/product/3231/isaiah-1-33-revised-edition.
[5] Adeboye, Godwin O. Can a Christian Be Cursed? An African Evangelical Response to the Problem of Curses. HippoBooks, 2023.
[6] ed. 2025. “The New Bible Dictionary, 3rd Ed.” Logos.com. 2025. https://www.logos.com/product/310/the-new-bible-dictionary-3rd-ed?utm_source=logos-web-app&utm_medium=contextual-upsell&utm_content=resource-null.
[8]https://www.eyeradio.org/cleric-says-gen-kuol-manyang-misinterpreted-the-bible/#:~:text=Pastor%20Gara
The writer South Sudanese theologian committed to unity and reconciliation as the greatest need for South Sudan and can be reached via yuannarjchany@gmail.com.
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.