Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Gen. Stephen Ogut Obongo Ochang, a veteran South Sudanese military commander who fought numerous battles in the country’s war for independence, died in Juba on Thursday at an estimated age of 85 years, the family said.
Gen. Obongo passed away at Nile Kings Hospital in Juba following a short illness.
His death was confirmed by his son, Tek Stephen, in an interview with Eye Radio when he said the retired commander had been suffering from a fever for two days before being taken to the hospital.
“He had a fever for two days, which became extreme, and when we took him to the hospital at Nile Kings Special Hospital, we did all the necessary testing and all that, and the results were showing stability,” Tek said.
“The doctors were saying there is nothing serious, but it’s unfortunate that at the end of the day, he met his fate.”
Tek said Gen. Obongo’s health condition was not considered life-threatening, but family members believe old age played a significant role in his death.
He was estimated to be in his mid-80s, with no official records documenting his exact birth year, although he is believed to have been born in the early 1930s in Dima village, Akobo County, Jonglei State.
Until his passing, Gen. Obongo served as a member of the Jonglei State Legislative Assembly, representing Akobo County.
His son described him as a humble and principled leader who spent nearly eight decades dedicated to the liberation and development of South Sudan.
“I can say that he is a very humble person and a very professional, was a very professional soldier, I can say,” aggrieved Tek narrated.
“Having been among the first group of South Sudanese who were sent to Israel in 1960s for military training, I think that kind of exposure had really, you know, built him up and moulded him into a professional soldier, and a humble gentleman that I can say.”
Tek said the family has reached out to military authorities for support and funeral arrangements, expressing hope that the army will honour one of its longest-serving patriots with a dignified farewell.
Gen. Obongo’s legacy spans three generations of South Sudan’s liberation movements. His political activism began in 1958 as a student protester during colonial rule.
Late Obongo joined the Anyanya I movement in 1963, later integrated into the Sudan Armed Forces as a major after the 1972 Addis Ababa Agreement, and defected to the SPLA/SPLM in 1996 during the second liberation struggle.
He was personally received by the late Dr. John Garang and quickly rose to the rank of commander.
He later served as Deputy Military Governor for Jonglei State under Eng. Kuol Manyang Juuk in 1997 and as Deputy Military Commander for Administration in Greater Upper Nile under John Koang Nyuon in 1998.
Following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005, he briefly served as a national MP and later as a Security Advisor to Jonglei State. In 2010, he was elected as a Member of the Jonglei State Legislative Assembly, a position he held until his death.
Throughout his career, Gen. Obongo fought in numerous battles across Upper Nile, Bahr el Ghazal, and Equatoria regions. He remained a vocal advocate for peace and unity in post-independence South Sudan, strongly opposing renewed armed rebellions.
Gen. Obongo is survived by two widows, Achalla Nyadang and Achan Olok, and 13 children, including Tek Stephen who is a journalist. He hailed from Othil Village, Ogilo Section, of the Ciro Clan in the Anyuak community of Akobo County.
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