Ten years after South Sudan gained independence from Khartoum, Edward Andrew Laboka says he is not yet ready to forgive the former Sudanese president for a crackdown on a religious service that left him without a hand.
Mr Laboka, now 47, remembers the Sunday Mass at Khartoum’s Cathedral Church of All Saints, on April 11, 2001, and the protest against Omar Al Bashir’s curtailment of religious gatherings that was held afterwards.
“There were about 20 military vehicles outside the church premises,” Mr Laboka, a lecturer in physical education at the Upper Nile State University, recalled in an interview in his house in the South Sudanese capital city of Juba.
“A Sudanese military officer entered the church and ordered the congregation to disperse. We were gathering to sign a memo to send it to the authorities to express our sheer condemnation of the cancellation of an event on April 8 by German evangelist Reinhard Bonnke at the Green Yard in Khartoum, despite obtaining an official permit."
The officer’s attitude enraged worshippers at the church, off Al Matar Street.
Ignoring their wails and protests, the officer gave Mr Laboka and other churchgoers a warning to leave immediately, otherwise they would be dispersed by force.
“That was a deliberate act of provocation,” he said. “It was a peaceful protest. As we rebelled outside the church, the officer gave orders to his forces to attack us.
“They starting shooting at us. There were several injures.”
The incident, documented by rights groups including Amnesty International, which demanded an investigation, marked Mr Laboka’s life indelibly.
The young man’s right hand was severely injured as he mistook a grenade for a tear gas canister.
“The small bomb exploded in my hand. They had to amputate what was left of it,” said Mr Laboka. He is still haunted by traumatic memories of that morning.
I knew from this incident that Bashir was my enemy as South Sudanese
Edward Andrew Laboka
“I was so angry and frustrated. I’m right-handed and have lost an integral part to continue my life. I knew from this incident that Bashir was my enemy as a south Sudanese.”
For decades before achieving independence in 2011, southern Sudanese Christians and non-Muslims used to complain of persecution under the regime of Al Bashir.
Though churches of several denominations can be found in Khartoum and Sudan in general, Christians such as Mr Laboka say many of them had to flee the country as life under the former Islamist policies and Sharia became intolerable.
Even decades after the events, as those in the independent south mark 10 years since the partition and even as a new Sudanese government that seeks to transition to democracy puts Al Bashir on trial in Khartoum for crimes while president, many in Juba have not let go of their anger at the old regime in the north.
Al Bashir indoctrination
Two years after his injury and after his damaged hand was amputated, Mr Laboka left for Egypt for proper treatment and to heal. It was there that the help of two Coptic Egyptians got him back on his feet.
Adel Onsi was a businessman catering to fellow Christians supported by a local church in the suburban district of Al Maadi, south of Cairo. He hired Mr Laboka in his translation and interpretation agency.
“He greatly helped me financially and to get me out of my depression,” Mr Laboka said.
Sami Adeeb, an English teacher, befriended him at the church and taught him how to write words, then full sentences, with his left hand.
“He used to stress the importance of how to hold the pen to write well,” Mr Laboka remembered with a smile, talking the Juba Arabic that mixes the Arabic language with other local languages in South Sudan.
The six years he spent in Egypt transformed his life. Eventually he returned to his home city of Malakal, in northern South Sudan, two years after the peace agreement was signed between John Garang, a South Sudan’s independence leader and much-respected figure, and the regime of Al Bashir. The deal marked the end of two decades of war that had divided the north and the south.
Mr Laboka was born in Juba and raised in Malakal by a family who converted to Christianity at the hand of missionaries from Europe.
The parents were followers of the traditional animist religion of their ethnic tribe who used to enjoy their right to freedom of religion in the south, unlike their eldest son, who moved to the north to enrol at the University of Khartoum.
South Sudan has no dominant religion. The Dinka and the Nuer are the largest tribes of about 64 ethnic groups, each with its own language and traditional beliefs, plus Islam and Christianity.
In the Sudanese capital, Mr Laboka said he was subjected to discrimination, bullying and intimidation because of his religion and ethnicity.
To pursue his dream of better education in Khartoum, Mr Laboka had to toe the Islamist line of the ousted National Congress Party of Al Bashir, who assumed power in 1989 after a coup.
The party imposed rules that ran counter to Mr Laboka’s own faith.
“If you wanted to join university, you should attend a military training camp first for about 45 days, where you were indoctrinated in Al Bashir’s political Islam ideology. This camp was part of the notorious and now disbanded Popular Defence Forces,” said Mr Laboka.
Known in Arabic as Al Defaa Al Shabi, the PDF was established as an Islamist militia by Al Bashir. The paramilitary forces were made up of civilians, who fought armed and rebel movements mainly in the South Sudan, Darfur and Kordofan regions.
I lived under the rule of political Islam. I didn’t even have the right to say I’m Christian
Edward Andrew Laboka
“I lived under the rule of political Islam. I didn’t even have the right to say I’m Christian. I had to wake up at dawn prayers because all Muslim colleagues did the same. It was not an option – if you didn’t get up, someone would pour cold water on you.
Mr Laboka said the PDF had an extremist unit called Al Dababeen for those who were willing to blow themselves up in the restive provinces.
“I remember a man called Moussa Al Hajja, who was with me in the same college and attended the same military camp,” said Mr Laboka.
“He carried out a suicide bombing in the city of Ad-Damazin in the Blue Nile state [in South Sudan].”
The conflict between the north and the south was brutal and marked by atrocities committed against civilians and abuses of human rights.
The uphill struggle eventually led to the independence of South Sudan. Al Bashir himself attended the independence celebrations on July 9, 2011.
Eight years after the cession, Al Bashir was forced by the army to step down following an uprising.
The former president is now being held in prison in Sudan. He is also wanted by the International Criminal Court to be tried for war crimes in the Darfur region.
“I’m happy because any war criminal should be in prison,” said Mr Laboka.
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Norway v Spain, Saturday, 10.45pm, UAE
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
%20Ramez%20Gab%20Min%20El%20Akher
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStreaming%20on%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMBC%20Shahid%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Leaderboard
63 - Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA)
64 - Rory McIlroy (NIR)
66 - Jon Rahm (ESP)
67 - Tom Lewis (ENG), Tommy Fleetwood (ENG)
68 - Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)
69 - Justin Rose (ENG), Thomas Detry (BEL), Francesco Molinari (ITA), Danny Willett (ENG), Li Haotong (CHN), Matthias Schwab (AUT)
Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
THE SPECS
Engine: six-litre W12 twin-turbo
Transmission: eight-speed dual clutch auto
Power: 626bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh940,160 (plus VAT)
On sale: Q1 2020
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.4-litre%20V8%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E470bhp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E637Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDh375%2C900%20(estimate)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
RESULTS
6.30pm UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) US$100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner Final Song, Christophe Soumillon (jockey), Saeed bin Suroor (trainer).
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (Turf) 1,000m
Winner Almanaara, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
7.40pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner Grand Argentier, Brett Doyle, Doug Watson.
8.15pm Meydan Challenge Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Major Partnership, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor.
8.50pm Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Gladiator King, Mickael Barzalona, Satish Seemar.
9.25pm Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
Winner Universal Order, Richard Mullen, David Simcock.
Test series fixtures
(All matches start at 2pm UAE)
1st Test Lord's, London from Thursday to Monday
2nd Test Nottingham from July 14-18
3rd Test The Oval, London from July 27-31
4th Test Manchester from August 4-8
Genesis G80 2020 5.0-litre Royal Specs
Engine: 5-litre V8
Gearbox: eight-speed automatic
Power: 420hp
Torque: 505Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.4L/100km
Price: Dh260,500
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Five hymns the crowds can join in
Papal Mass will begin at 10.30am at the Zayed Sports City Stadium on Tuesday
Some 17 hymns will be sung by a 120-strong UAE choir
Five hymns will be rehearsed with crowds on Tuesday morning before the Pope arrives at stadium
‘Christ be our Light’ as the entrance song
‘All that I am’ for the offertory or during the symbolic offering of gifts at the altar
‘Make me a Channel of your Peace’ and ‘Soul of my Saviour’ for the communion
‘Tell out my Soul’ as the final hymn after the blessings from the Pope
The choir will also sing the hymn ‘Legions of Heaven’ in Arabic as ‘Assakiroo Sama’
There are 15 Arabic speakers from Syria, Lebanon and Jordan in the choir that comprises residents from the Philippines, India, France, Italy, America, Netherlands, Armenia and Indonesia
The choir will be accompanied by a brass ensemble and an organ
They will practice for the first time at the stadium on the eve of the public mass on Monday evening
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
More on Quran memorisation:
Planes grounded by coronavirus
British Airways: Cancels all direct flights to and from mainland China
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific: Cutting capacity to/from mainland China by 50 per cent from Jan. 30
Chicago-based United Airlines: Reducing flights to Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong
Ai Seoul: Suspended all flights to China
Finnair: Suspending flights to Nanjing and Beijing Daxing until the end of March
Indonesia's Lion Air: Suspending all flights to China from February
South Korea's Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air and Jin Air: Suspend all flights
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
