Stories of Hope: Ojok Matthew

Ojok Matthew has seen his country, Sudan, destroyed by war and tribal conflict. And he has seen the leaders and politicians of Sudan make poor choices that lead to both violence and human rights violations. Matthew hopes to change that one day. He is in his fourth year of secondary school with focused aims of becoming a politician. He has seen the effects of war on his people and he himself was forced to flee his own country as a boy. But Matthew believes that his own experiences living the difficult life of a refugee have only served to help him identify with the population he wants to serve. Unlike the uneducated “rebel” politicians who often spring up in the clamorous atmosphere of conflict and hard times, Matthew believes that a new group of young Sudanese, educated in Uganda and knowledgeable about human rights, can lead Sudan to a brighter future.

Matthew was born in Southern Sudan over 22 years ago amidst a turbulent political atmosphere. The country was being ripped apart by conflict between the Arab-Muslim government in the North and the black tribal populations in the South. The Arab government controlled all the resources and wealth in the country, leaving the poor southern regions to wallow in poverty and starvation. In addition, Arab militants would often raid tribal villages, plundering from these poor people and abducting children to use as slaves. In response to this grievous treatment, a movement known as the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) sprang up under the leadership of a man named John Garang to oppose the northern government. John Garang hailed from a fierce warrior tribe known as the Dinka. Consequently, the SPLA consisted predominantly of Dinka men. The Dinka are a roaming cattle-herding tribe known for their tall stature and violent tendencies. Historically, they have been known to prey on peaceful farming villages such as those of the Acholi or the Madi tribes. They were a group to be feared. Although people from every tribe in Southern Sudan vehemently opposed the northern government, they did not openly support the SPLA because it was an organization largely composed of their tribal enemies, the Dinka. In their eyes, the Dinka were both untrustworthy and unconcerned with anything beyond the political goals of their own tribe. The people were happy that someone was fighting the government, but most were not willing to join the SPLA’s movement.

The SPLA, much like the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Uganda, was angered by the lack of volunteers they received from the rural population in support of their cause. They interpreted the lack of support as a sign of betrayal and turned on the population. Both men and boys were kidnapped from rural villages by the SPLA and forced them to become soldiers for their cause. The SPLA ceased to care about collateral damage and would engage in firefights in populated areas where innocent villagers were often caught in the crossfire. Thus, the rebels became to be a more tangible and immediate threat to the people of Southern Sudan than even the government. The rural population found themselves vulnerable and victimized, caught between two warring factions who cared nothing for their lives.

Matthew lived in Southern Sudan for the first nine years of his life. During his childhood in Sudan, his mother was shot and killed after being caught in the crossfire during a firefight. His two elder brothers were abducted from school by the SPLA and later died in battle. His elder sister became sick and died due to the lack of available medical care. Despite the deaths of so many family members, Matthew, his father, and two younger siblings continued to struggle for survival in the chaos that enveloped their region. When Matthew was nine years old, there were several brutal attacks on his village. Following the attacks, his father abruptly decided that they should try to escape to Uganda. They packed some food for the journey and began the long trek south to Uganda. At that time in Sudan, people did not bother to pack many belongings (if they had any) to take on the journey. The journey was dangerous and bundles would only weigh them down in the event of having to run from rebel soldiers. Refugees fleeing out of Sudan were hoping to simply reach Uganda alive. Matthew, his father, and his siblings took six days to make the arduous journey to Uganda. They were careful to avoid main roads and paths where rebel soldiers might be lurking. Consequently, they were forced to traverse over rough terrain in the bush. They stopped only to eat and rest, drinking water from the streams that they crossed. Both Matthew and his father each carried one of the younger children on their backs as they walked through the bush. Like most people who make the journey from Sudan to Uganda, Matthew’s entire family was barefoot, with only the clothing on their backs to protect them from the elements. Matthew remembers the constant fear they faced of being captured by the rebels. They even crossed the border at night, hoping that the darkness would mask their movements. From their village in Sudan, they had traveled approximately 60 miles on foot, over rough terrain, through a war zone, to reach the “safety” of Uganda - a country also embroiled in a civil war.

Upon reaching Uganda, Matthew’s family came directly to Adjumani where they stayed for a few weeks with some other refugees that his father had known in Sudan. Eventually, they settled in one of the refugee camps. There was no land to grow crops. There was no food save for what was provided by the United Nations. There were no permanent jobs available because the entire region was overcrowded with refugees. When their food supply from the U.N. was diminished, men would search for wild roots in the bush or try to find some small jobs in order to buy food for their families. Refugees became very adept at going without food. When they did have food, it was always the same thing - posho (maize meal) and beans – because that was what the U.N. provided. Refugee children grew up eating posho and beans every day for every meal. It was all that they had. The people could do little to change their situation. They had no money, no mode of transport, no way to contact the outside world. Being a refugee is about waiting. Waiting for food. Waiting for jobs. Waiting for peace. Waiting for a better life.

Matthew tells me that life in Sudan was horrible, but life in Uganda was almost as bad. They still feared abduction and attack, but this time from the Ugandan rebel group, the LRA, instead of the SPLA. The LRA would come to people’s homes in the middle of the night and knock on the door, hoping that the inhabitants of the home would open the door expecting to see a friend or neighbor. But the rural population soon wizened to this trick, realizing that a knock in the middle of the night was probably from rebel soldiers. Matthew was forced to escape through the window of his hut on at least three occasions when the LRA came to their door at night.

One benefit of being in Uganda was that children could finally attend school. Because of the disruptions caused by war in Southern Sudan, Matthew did not go to school while he was living there. He started P.1 when he was ten years old, after his family had moved to Uganda. Consequently, he has been behind his age mates in school all his life. Matthew admits that it is sometimes difficult to watch his friends - who have either finished their education or dropped out - because they are sometimes able to find work during the day when he is at school. Thus, they are making a little money and buying nice clothes while he continues to struggle through his studies. But Matthew knows very well that his education is more important than having nice clothes.

Growing up, he used to listen to the older people talk about politics and the state of the country. It interested him and made him think that maybe one day he would like to be a politician. Now he has grown up and understands the society and the problems it faces. Matthew has a burning desire to change the world in which he lives. He believes that the tribal conflict in Southern Sudan is even more of a concern that the conflict between the Arab North and the black South because it spills over into homes and schools where innocent people become victims. He wants to see the situation in Southern Sudan change and he believes that one day there can be peace.

Matthew’s immediate concerns are to finish his education and to care for his family. His father is now becoming elderly and his two younger siblings still need help finding money for their school fees. As the oldest, Matthew feels responsible for keeping his family safe and providing whatever he can for them. He hopes that one day his education will afford him a job that can bring some financial security and stability to his family. Until then, he waits and continues to study. Matthew offers some advice for other children: “Put Jesus first in your life. When you are obedient to God, other people in the community will respect and appreciate you.”