John Garang de Mabior born on June 23, 1945, is the founding father of South Sudan. From 1983 to 2005, he led the Sudan People’s Liberation Army during the Second Sudanese Civil War, and following a peace agreement he briefly served as First Vice President of Sudan from July 9, 2005, until his death in a helicopter crash on July 30, 2005. A developmental economist by profession, Dr. Garang was a major influence on the movement that led to the foundation of South Sudan.

This article highlights some of the most powerful Dr. John Garang quotes.

I and those who joined me in the bush and fought for more than twenty years, have brought to you CPA in a golden plate. Our mission is accomplished. It is now your turn, especially those who did not have a chance to experience bush life. When the time comes to vote at the referendum, it is your golden choice to determine your fate. Would you like to vote to be second class citizens in your own country? It is absolutely your choice —Dr. John Garang speaking to South Sudanese in Rumbek, May 15, 2005, about the just-signed CPA and the right choice to be made by the South Sudanese in the then forthcoming referendum which, unfortunately, he never participated in.

“Something must be rotten in Arabs’ culture that is why Chinese came and left you behind, Russians came and left you behind, Canadians came and left you behind and Americans came and left you behind”—Dr. John Garang commenting on Arab’s violent war of Jihad and unwarranted public incitement and war propaganda. 

“Imagine a traveler walking into your cattle camp one evening; you welcome him warmly, give him milk to drink and the best bed to sleep on. He stays with you for an indefinite period and when you tell him that he has overstayed his welcome and was time for him to go, he claims that it was your fault to let him stay so long anyway and demands a share of your cattle: would you allow him to do so?”—Dr. John Garang speaking to a crowd of Dinka herdsmen in 1998 about the  arrival and occupation of the Sudan by the Arabs. 

“By the end of the six year Interim Period I want Southern Sudan to be earning at least two billion dollars from oil revenues, two billion dollars from tourism, at least six billion dollars from agriculture and other enterprises, so that we have annual revenues of at least ten billion dollars. All this requires peace and stability all over Southern Sudan. Over the six years I want Southern Sudan transformed into the heaven on earth of Africa….” Dr. John Garage De Mabior, June 30, 2005. 

“The SPLM is a forum in which citizens shall have right to ask their government representatives where are the hospital and school buildings, and roads you promised to construct? The SPLM is a forum in which citizens have right to report a member of the SPLA to face justice in the court of law if he/she has committed a crime against civilians?” – Dr. John Garang

These days, democracy is so beaten up that even if the devil says he is democratic, people will listen to him. We in the SPLA are the victims of our own image and success. SPLA is a tool to bring about a democratic society and a tool should not be democratic– He said this when SPLA had many internal disputes-1991

Like a ram, for anything successful to happen, people must go back, back in order to go forward  – Dr. John Garang

A nation is not created by God but by people and it doesn’t go to church on Sundays neither does it go to mosque on Fridays(It does not worship)2. God is neither a Muslim nor a Christian.More later.– Dr. John Garang

Let’s take towns to the villages – Dr. John Garang

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