71 years after Torit Revolt, South Sudan’s struggle for freedom remains unfinished – Thomas Cirillo

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National Salvation Front (NAS) Chairman and Commander-in-Chief Gen. Thomas Cirillo Swaka has called on South Sudanese to honour the legacy of the 1955 Torit Revolt by continuing the struggle for justice, freedom, equality and dignity.

In a message marking the 71st anniversary of the revolt, Gen. Cirillo described the events of August 18, 1955, as the beginning of South Sudan’s first people’s revolution and a defining moment in the long struggle that ultimately led to independence.

“Their sacrifices demand of us that we uphold dignity, justice, freedom, and equality,” the Chairman said, referring to the men who took part in the Torit Revolt.

The revolt began on August 18, 1955, when soldiers of the Equatoria Corps in Torit rose against the Sudanese authorities shortly before Sudan formally gained independence from Britain and Egypt. The uprising became an important precursor to the Anyanya armed struggle and the subsequent decades-long struggle for South Sudanese self-determination.

On this historic day, our forefathers shot the first bullets in defiance of oppression, injustice and subjugation…

Gen. Thomas Cirillo paid tribute to the heroes of the revolt, saying they confronted a much stronger military force in defence of their rights and dignity.

“On this historic day, our forefathers shot the first bullets in defiance of oppression, injustice and subjugation,” he said.

The NAS Chairman also honoured those who continued the struggle in subsequent generations, including the fighters and martyrs of the Anyanya movement, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and NAS.

He noted that the Anyanya struggle lasted 17 years, while the SPLA-led war continued for 21 years before culminating in South Sudan’s independence in 2011.

For NAS, the sacrifices of those generations remain directly connected to the movement’s current struggle.

Gen. Cirillo said NAS honours its own martyrs who, like the pioneers of 1955, continued the struggle for the rights and dignity of South Sudanese.

However, 71 years after the Torit Revolt, Gen. Cirillo said the aspirations that motivated generations of South Sudanese to fight for freedom have not been realised.

For millions of South Sudanese, the promise of independence remains still unfulfilled….

He accused the ruling SPLM political elites in Juba of betraying the sacrifices of previous generations through what he described as the pursuit of power and wealth, denial of citizens’ rights, looting of state revenues, lawlessness, impunity and mismanagement of state institutions.

“For millions of South Sudanese, the promise of independence remains still unfulfilled,” he said.

The Chairman said the anniversary should therefore be more than a commemoration of a historic event. He called on South Sudanese to draw lessons from the courage and determination demonstrated by the participants in the 1955 revolt.

He said overcoming injustice requires courage, unity and sacrifice, as well as a clear vision for a peaceful and prosperous South Sudan founded on freedom, justice, equality and the rule of law.

Gen. Cirillo reaffirmed NAS’s commitment to what he described as the continuation of the struggle begun by the forefathers of the Torit Revolt.

He said the movement would continue its struggle until South Sudanese achieve a peaceful, democratic, inclusive and united country where all citizens can live in freedom, security, justice and dignity.

The 71st anniversary of the Torit Revolt comes as South Sudan continues to face political instability, conflict, displacement and concerns over governance and the implementation of democratic reforms.

For NAS, the events of August 18, 1955, remain a reminder that South Sudan’s independence was the product of successive generations of struggle and sacrifice – and that the responsibility to defend the aspirations of those generations rests with the present generation.

“The struggle continues,” Gen. Cirillo concluded.

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