OPINION | Build Bona Malual Madut’s Leadership Academy now

South Sudan has entered yet another moment of reflection following the passing of Bona Malual Madut Ring, one of the most enduring voices in the country’s long journey toward freedom and statehood.

At 97, Bona Malual leaves behind more than a legacy; he leaves a national obligation. His life demands recognition not only in words, but in a concrete, lasting institution that can educate, shape, and inspire generations. That institution should be named Bona Malual Madut’s Leadership Academy.

For more than half a century, Bona Malual was a towering figure in Sudanese and South Sudanese political life: a journalist whose pen challenged oppression; a scholar who articulated the case for Southern dignity; a politician who served during the most turbulent eras; an advisor whose wisdom helped guide the path to independence; and above all, a statesman whose unwavering commitment to unity set him apart.

Born in 1928 in Twic Mayardit County, Bona Malual rose from the son of a chief to one of the country’s most influential intellectuals. His education in journalism and economics in the United States sharpened his voice and widened his vision. Through The Vigilant, the newspaper he founded in 1965, he provided a platform for Southern consciousness during a time when free expression was both rare and dangerous. His writings documented injustices, shaped political debate, and laid the ideological foundation for later liberation movements.

He played a formative role in the Southern Front, one of the earliest political bodies advocating autonomy. He later served as Undersecretary and Minister of Culture and Information after the 1972 Addis Ababa Agreement. And even after years of exile, he returned following the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, continuing to speak for unity, good governance, and reconciliation until the end of his life.

South Sudan has many heroes of the liberation struggle. But Bona Malual was unique. He liberated through thought, through journalism, and through a disciplined commitment to political dialogue. He proved that leadership is not only shaped on the battlefield, but also in the realm of ideas.

This is why the Government of South Sudan must honour him in a manner befitting his national stature. A leadership academy bearing his name will not only safeguard his memory — it will advance the very values he spent a lifetime defending.

The proposed Bona Malual Madut Leadership Academy would train the next generation of South Sudanese in: public leadership and governance, political communication and journalism, civic education and democratic values, public administration and ethics, and national unity and reconciliation.

Such an institution would fill one of the biggest gaps in the country today: the shortage of trained, principled, non-tribal, service-oriented leaders. It would offer a new model of mentorship rooted in intellectual depth, patriotic duty, and the pursuit of national cohesion.

At a time when South Sudan continues to face economic pressure, political mistrust, and the fatigue of repeated conflict, the government must seize this opportunity to invest in the nation’s long-term leadership capacity. There could be no greater tribute to a man who believed that South Sudan’s future would depend not on oil or donors, but on the quality of its leaders.

There are moments in a nation’s history when symbolism and substance must come together. This is such a moment. The story of Bona Malual is intertwined with the story of South Sudan itself. To allow his legacy to fade would be to allow part of our national identity to fade with it.

The Government of South Sudan must act — decisively, respectfully and historically. Build Bona Malual Madut’s Leadership Academy. The nation owes him nothing less.

John Bith Aliap is a South Sudanese political analyst and commentator on governance, leadership, and state-building in post-conflict societies. The views expressed here are his own and do not reflect the editorial stance of Sudans Post. He can be reached at johnaliap2021@hotmail.com.