January 9th 2015(Nyamilepedia) — In celebrating the life of a comrade in armed, friend, well renounced intellectual, loving father, braved and towering political commentator and one of the finest South Sudanese writer and smartest emerging leader of my generation, I present to you his life and a celebrated eulogy.
On Sunday, December 28th, 2014, hundreds of South Sudanese – Canadians gathered at the First Church of Nazarene in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and commemorated the life of Mr. Deng Yiech Bachech. Mr. Bachech (aka Nyabuony) passed away on November 7th, 2014 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Late Deng’s memorial service was marked by well-defined and profound emotional speeches showcasing that death is an “unnecessary evil.” If death could be averted by any slightest chance possible or people had the power to bring back to life a departed loved soul, Mr. Deng Yiech Bachech would have been brought back to life on December 28th, 2014.
His memorial service was paramount considering the admiration calls made, which echoed the church’s corridors from the emotional mourners wishing Deng, a towering figure to rest in peace.
Immediate Family
Deng Yiech Bachech was born on September 3rd, 1974 in Dhalap village, Nasir County, Upper Nile State, South Sudan and died at the age of 40. He was a son of Yiech Bachech Deng and Nyabunyni Goldet. Yiech Bachech Deng (father) himself was a war veteran and fought fiercely in the South Sudan’s war of liberation, which led to our nation’s independence on July 9th, 2011.
Mr. Deng Yiech Bachech was married to Mrs. Nyachangkuoth Pal Chang in 1999 in Ethiopia and he is survived by three beautiful children:
- Goy Deng Yiech
- Bachech Deng Yiech
- Nyadieng Deng Yiech
“Nyabouny” (Deng), as many of his friends and colleagues called him died at a very young age considering his political ambitions and projected promising future ahead of him. To say the least, Deng was so articulate and ambitious dealing with life’ shortcomings in this troubled world and momentous technological age.
His well spent short life was marked by successes and admirations even from foes who might have had wished him dead at times. Throughout his life experiences, Deng Yiech Bachech made his marks and he is now resting in his grave delighted and as a blessed man because he will always be remembered as one of our finest South Sudanese writer and a gentle soul.
Educational and work experience
Deng Yiech Bachech first attended a primary school education in Nasir, County and subsequently moved to Ethiopia where he completed it. Upon completion, Deng attended a secondary school and completed it in 1990s with astounding scores. Deng scored 3.20 point grade in the Ethiopia’s secondary school leaving examination. A grade envied by many but only secured by few and well distinguished top notch students like Deng.
As a result, Deng Yiech Bachech secured the rarest United Nations’ University scholarship awarded to only few and gifted ones at the time. Deng attended the Addis Ababa University in 1999 after his successful marriage with his beautiful wife Nyachangkuoth Pal Chang. At the University, Deng pursued a political science degree as a career stream for two years, but then, in the middle, he migrated to Canada for a better life and pursues well-grounded level of education.
Upon arrival, Mr. Deng was admitted at the Nazarene University College in Calgary. A university which was later changed to be Ambrose University. Immediately after a semester or two, Deng transferred to the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon in the province of Saskatchewan, where he finished his studies strong and with “Honors.” Deng Yiech was awarded with Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Immediately after his graduation, Deng returned to Calgary to his young family and worked briefly. After a short while, Deng decided to return to school to pursue further education.
In 2009, Deng Yiech was accepted in the Master Degree Program at the University of Calgary in Sustainable Energy Development. However, before completion, Mr. Deng joined politics and subsequently became the first ever Sudan People Liberation Movement for Democratic Change (SPLM-DC)’s official representative to Canada.
Thus marked Deng’s entry into a political life, and subsequently served as the SPLM-DC’s Director for External Affairs stationed in Khartoum, Sudan. In 2010 during Sudan’s elections, Mr. Deng Yiech accompanied by others abandoned the SPLM-DC and joined the “mother SPLM.” Immediately after the elections, Deng was appointed as a senior office manager by the Upper Nile State’s Governor, Simon Kun Puoch Mar.
Deng served in this capacity until he was removed and shortly was reappointed as a Deputy Director in one of the South Sudan’s second largest oil company in the country. Deng served as a Deputy Director until South Sudan entered into the shameless civil war instigated by none other then President Salva Kiir Mayardit on the 15th of December 2013.
Immediately after the onset of the crisis, Deng decided to side with the victims and joined the revolutionary armed group against Salva Kiir ruthless regime in Juba. Afterward, Deng moved to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for a short while and where he later died from stroke.
As a political commentator, Deng Yiech Bachech decided to write and become a giant political commentator in 2006. He has written many articles and read widely. Until his death Deng remained one of the finest political commentator in South Sudan of my generation. Deng’s last article before his passing was on March 18th, 2014, titled “The December 15 Revolution: A Just Cause,” and was published by the South Sudan News Agency. Considering this short biography, it’s therefore imperative to conclude that we have lost a legend of unique characters.
Personal reflections
I knew Deng Yiech in person. But, it was in his writing where I really got to know him well and far better. It was here, in this front, in the field of writing where I got to know him far better and discovered his real ambitions and intellectual capacity as a man. I have realized, and it’s respectable to mention that his supreme writings were meant to change peoples’ perceptions and provoke honest political debates.
For anyone out there, for credibility sake of this writing, I must say, I have no bloodline or blood relation with Deng Yiech Bachech. And so therefore the authenticity of this piece is sound and genuine.
Deng was an honorable man and I admired him for who he was and what he becomes in the pen’s world. As a brother in this new trajectory and as peoples’ person as he was, I must say that he was a shrewd figure. His critical writings were intended to achieving peace, justice and democratic ideals in South Sudan through honest political debates and thus connubial to mine.
It was here, in this front where I discerned his bravery and unmatched political ambitions. It was here, in the field of writing and having read his writings and between the lines where I uncovered his fullest potentials for my generation.
Deng’s well-articulated pieces often provoked debates, annoyance and could even take one’s life prematurely like that of Isaiah Abraham. A brother in a pen’s world too. A man whose life was taken away from us prematurely by thugs and enemies of peace and development in South Sudan under Salva Kiir’s scalawag government.
Deng Yiech Bachech has alluded to this savagery reality in his last piece. He wrote, “We are afraid of telling the truth. It’s sometimes understandable to fear because of strange circumstances.” The question is, why, he, Deng Yiech Bachech was not afraid of his own life in such strange circumstances? I don’t know and have no speculated answers to fill the buoyant.
But based on Deng’s eloquent writing, one can equate his love for his country and his peoples’ freedom from any autocratic regimes that would come and go. Based on Deng’s showcased bravery and humanistic ideals, I have requested Deng Yiech Bachech’s immediate members to allow me to write this brief biography. In loving memory of Deng Yiech Bachech one of the finest South Sudanese writer, I presented to you his eulogy. I thought this would be my immortal gift to his young beautiful children Goy, Bachech and Nyadieng Deng Yiech.
In my brief comment during Mr. Deng’s memorial service, I remarked that Deng died at a wrong time. A tragic time. A time where South Sudan as a country needed his talents; and I must assert that we wanted his unquestionable intellectual and thinking capacity than any other times.
In closing, brother Deng, I should say and with broken heart, rest in peace but you will be missed dearly. Your friends in the pen’s world will miss you. The world at large will miss you. South Sudan as a country is saddened that you are gone and departed forever. Your family, your beautiful young children Goy, Bachech and Nyadieng Deng Yiech missed you greatly.
This can be affirmed through their stated below respective remarks. For example, Deng’s elder son, Goy had this to say: “you might be dead, dad, but you will still be in our hearts.” Bachech on the other say this: “my dad was a very smart and educated man, but he died… and didn’t achieve all he wanted to accomplish. I loved him. We loved him so much.” Finally Nyadieng, the youngest child say “we love you dad and we missed you very much. I wish I have power to bring you back to life.” These statements are indeed profound and not sugarcoated but testament to unconditional love.
In loving memory of Deng Yiech Bachech, this piece was written by J. Nguen Nyol with a full consent of immediate family members. Should you have any question regarding the content of this writing, please don’t hesitate to reach the author at jamesnguen@gmail.com.
For any other questions pertaining family matters or helping hands to the bereaving family, please contact Nyachangkuoth Pal Chang at nyachang@hotmail.com or1-587 – 894 -3595.
