Aliab Community marks 106th anniversary of victory against British

MINGKAMAN – The Aliab community of South Sudan’s Lakes State on Thursday marked the 106th anniversary of their victory over the British.

The day commemorates the uprising of 30 October 1919, during which Aliab-Dinka successfully resisted the invasion of their land by the British army.

The ceremony, organized by Aliab students living abroad, was attended by senior government officials, youth leaders, women, chiefs, and young people.

The event was held at Mingkaman, the headquarters of Awerial County, on Thursday.

Speaking during the event on Thursday, Gen. Rin Tueng Mabor, Governor of Lakes State, emphasized the importance of the event in recognizing Chief Kon Anok, who led the resistance against British oppression.

Akon Anok is from the Akeei section of Aliab and is part of the Aliab community. Today marks 106 years since the resistance of Aliab,” Mabor said.

Mobor said the British invasion of Aliab Land was characterized by violence and looting, including the raiding of cattle and killings.

Kon and the people of Aliab successfully resisted the British and reclaimed their land after a period of fighting. Today, we gather in Mingkaman to commemorate the anniversary of the Aliab resistance, which occurred here,” he said.

We share this history orally so that young people can learn about it, so those unfamiliar with Kon Anok are aware of his role in the resistance against the British.”

For his part, Elijah Manyok, Chairman of the Bor Community Youth Association (BCYA), expressed that the Bor community stands in solidarity with the Aliab community in remembering their grandfathers killed during battle against the British. ‎

I stand with you in solidarity, similar to how Garang Dhieu stood with Kon Anok. I am here to discuss how the actions of Kon Anok and Aliab resulted in Kon Anok’s arrest and death. He was killed due to his resistance,” said Manyok.

We, Bor and Aliab, are united; we were once one people under the Mongalla provinces and remain together today, having only been separated by administrative boundaries.”

Eng. Nhial Deng Nhial, chairperson of the organizing committee, said, “Today marks the day when Aliab resisted the British operation on 30th October 1919 led by Kon Anok and other chiefs of Aliab. This is the day Aliab resisted the oppression of the British on their land.”

The Aliab uprising began on 30 October 1919 when police arrested several Aliab men.

In response, over 3,000 warriors stormed the police station in Mingkaman, freeing their kinsmen and triggering violent clashes with British police officers.

Lieutenant Colonel Richard Finch White led several companies of the Egyptian Army Equatorial Battalion to restore order.

Ultimately, the uprising was suppressed in 1920 through a punitive expedition led by Colonel Robert Henry Darwall, resulting in the deaths of 500 individuals and the capture of approximately 20,000 cattle.

The uprising was a reaction to the mistreatment of women by the assistant district commissioner, who imposed forced labor on individuals without compensation.

He collected large bulls instead of smaller ones as taxes, detained Aliab residents without judicial resolution, and executed individuals without due legal process.