Eulogy for Joshua Opal on 7 February 2009 Edmonton , Canada
Funeral Service Pictures:> > (Photo 1), and > >> ( Photo 2 )
Joshua Opal's body is carring out from Church back to Funeral home. |
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Late Joshua Opal Lual |
His father Lual Yier was a local chief of Chiewang sub-clan in Nasir. But at the height of the Second World War in 1945, Britain , which was the colonial power in Sudan , drafted him along with many Sudanese to liberate Ethiopia from Italian invasion. As the result, Joshua’s father was killed in the battle of Gambella in 1945 by Italian sub-marines. The Sudanese and Ethiopian combined forces defeated Italy and accompanied Emperor Haile Sellassie I back to his throne in Addis-Ababa. It is to be recalled that Joshua Opal coined the name “Jiathnyang” for Emperor Haile Sellasie I and all Nuers know Haile Sellasie by that name. Later, Joshua called his first son, Jiathnyang in the honour of the Emperor.
Joshua had three wives: Sahara , Anna and Martha. Saraha and Anna passed away. His current wife Martha lives with him in Canada . Joshua is survived by his wife and eight children who are:
- Tadelech, Nyagoa, Tethloach, and Nyaluat wholive in Canada .
- Jiathnyang and Nyakanglive in the United States of America .
- His son Khor lives in Ethiopia .
- His son Gemlives in the Sudan .
The people who spoke and gave the word of sympathy to Joshua fimaly during the funeral service on Saturday Feb 07, 2009 in Edmonton, Alberta Canada |
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| Pastor: Chris Logan in Edmonton | Pastor: Peter Khol Dar in Edmonton | Chairman of Ethiopia Comminity | Dirrector for Canadian Agence | Chairman of Haritage multicultural |
Chairperson of African Community | Chairperson of Cathilic Social Service | Peter Jany Kawayo, the secretary for the funeral service, & relative | Peter Dak Ruach, the Nuer elder | David Dep Taw. the relative | Peter L. Both, interpreter, & biograpy reader | Abraham Gatluak, the relative |
His life in Ethiopia
Joshua started elementary school in Nasir, but fled to Ethiopia along with David Dak Gach and Chuol Duoth Gok in 1962 during the formative years of Anya Nya I in Upper Nile State . He became Anya Nya I soldier briefly and was the one who received Sudanese refugees at the camp of Oder with the Ethiopian Government and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for the first time in the history of southern Sudanese struggle. In 1965, Joshua and his two friends decided to go to school and it was Ras Imru Mesfin, a General in the Ethiopian army, who decided to take them to his home. It is here where Joshua completed his high school and decided to become Ethiopian Citizen. After completing high school, Joshua was sent for teachers training for two years and became a teacher for Junior high school in 1967.
Joshua was appointed as a district commissioner for Itang from 1976-1977 where he served the residents and assisted Sudanese refugees and Any Nya I forces in Itang. From 1982-1991, Joshua, was made Deputy Governor and Governor of Gambella during the Dergue regime of Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam in Ethiopia . This appointment made Joshua the first Nuer governor in Ethiopia . During his term, he continued to help Sudanese fleeing atrocities in Sudan . It was Joshua who picked up Dr. John Garang de Mabior, the late leader of the SPLM/A, with helicopter in Thiajak when he caught Malaria on his way to Ethiopia in 1983. His contribution to the struggle of Southern Sudanese is appreciated by the SPLM/A leadership.
In 1991, the Dergue regime fell and Joshua fled to Nasir , Sudan , where he took refuge for two years. In 1993, Joshua went to Kenya where he stayed for two years and got the chance for resettlement in Canada , where he has been till his untimely death on 26 January 2009 .
While in Canada , Joshua worked very hard. He sponsored his family to come to Canada and supported them very well. He also supported his family back in Ethiopia . Joshua became an advisor for the Sudanese and Ethiopian communities in Edmonton and Calgary . Uncle Joshua is a hero for the Sudanese and Ethiopians alike and he will be truly missed by all of us.
Joshua Life story Contination by Bol Bol Ruei Bol interviewed Joshua by phone in 2003
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2nd Peace Conference: Joshua's second coming from Canada to United States to met with people of Nasir in Nashville, Tennessee on Feb 14-15, 2004 |
The interview, was to find out the back ground ,experiences, where he was born, when he started his education, some colleges that has jointed and places he service. I have done this because as I service under him as sec, of “ NEAPC,“ in order to introduced him to those young men and ladies who knew not of him before. That was my proposed of doing it.
The interview, based on the following:
Opal Lual
1.Joshua, was born at Jikmer, 15, mails away from the Nasir.
2. He started his school at Nasir East Primary school and sat for primary certificate, and he was send to.
3. Juba Technical school, might be in 1960.
4. He graduate in 1962-3, and things became bad for the South, in the same year, Rumbek, secondary school go on strike against the Northern and this led many student to leaved and formed the guerrilla ‘at Pochalla on the 8/8/ 1963. Opal and others left their schools and came back home, together with the below few name he had mentioned himself, According to him.
a. John Columbus [Jol Luak]
b. Mayian Reath.
c. Yiech Diew.
d. Nguot Diet Rial Gak.
e. Nyang Deng.
f. Chuol Doth.
Only two of the above, Yiech Diew and Nguot Diet, go to joined the “Anyanya one,” but the rest came to Pilual, in Odier Refugee camp, in 1964. The majority of the Students, left for Gambella town. Gambella was no even any, Nuer man at that time. The were spent some few days in Gambella and left for Domidolla on foots. In Domidolla, the police, helped them and find them a car, to come to Addis Ababa. In Addis they were given some rations as a refugee, instead, Joshua rejected to have the rations, but he find himself a job as Ethiopia citizen.He told me that Gite Jal, Lul Top and Chuol Duoth, blame him by not having with them.
5. Opal, was excepted to go to the teacher training Institute for two years in Arra.
6. When he graduated, in 1966, he was employed to become a teacher in Assossa, for five years. And in those 5, years, he used to come back to Itang campaign for literacy.
7 Joshua went back for other two years to college, when he done with his college, he was transferred to teach in Gambella Senior secondary School. that was a time when many Nuer students were excepted to go to school in Gambella. because of that development Anyuak people were not happy and bring fight between the Anyuak and the Nuer students. Now to protect the minority, Joshua Timothy Tut Lam and Jonh Gila Lul make themselves to became Ethiopia full citizens to have their voice heard and to confront the Anyuak. By doing that the Nuer students became recognize not be treaty as refugee no more.
8. Now than, the Nuer students began to worked very hard, they always got top score of all class, from 6th- 11th grade. Because of great achievement, make the Anyak to accused Opal, that he was given the information’s of some leaking exam. To his people.
9 Because of the accession, Joshua was transferred to worked in the District Education office, for some years.
10. When, the Ethiopia revolution began, Joshua, was changed to worked as a District commissioner at Itang. 1976, he was order by the Ethiopia Government to helped to formed Anyana II and he took them to opened Bilpam.Regarding to the formation of ‘Anyanya II’ some conflict arisen between the Nuer and the Anyuak.Ojuo Alew, fought with Kuany Latjor, that made the relationship look so bad. When both Refugees and the Anyuak, were drinking together, they began to fight and the Anyuak chief, c Omot Yaai, was got killed by Thoa Liem Guangdong. The next day, the Anyak attacked the camp on its four side, they captured, Terluol, and Beeth. Opal had played big role to protected the refugees women and their children.
11. When Gombella was made to be a province Joshua, was promoted to become Governor of Gambella region, 12. He worked as a Governor for 10-15 years.
According to what he told me during the interviewed.
=2, years in the teachers training.
=5,years in Assossa working as a teacher.
=2,years in teachers college.
=3,years as a teacher in Gambella senior secondary school.
=5,years, education district office.
=2,years as a Gargach at Itang.
=15,years, as gambella region 12, Governor.
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1st Peace Conference: Joshua is alway loves his home family community to be in unity. The picture showed above was a 1st visited to United States and met with the people of Nasir in Omaha Nebraska on August 31, 2003. |
Those two deaths, shaken the foundation of entire Nuer community, by losing our beloved hard workers people. Gatbel Lul Koch and our great father Joshua Opal Lual. As I have already mentioned, the Word “PINY CIENG KU PAL” It ,is Just for remembering all the hard worked they had done for this generation of Southern Sudan as well as the Ethiopians people of Region 12, a likes.
1.) Joshua Opal Lual, is a great teacher, who had taught many people. One of the example, I could shared with you to today, was of July, 1969. Joshua Opal, came from Assosa, where he had worked as a teacher. He organized some of the Sudanese students who were in the Highland, to come and opened the summer school in the refugee camp, at Itang. At that time, Joshua, was accompanied by (1) Dr. Git Jal Liep, before he become a dr.(2) Lt Gen. Kuany Latjor, before he was a Gen. (3) Peter Pal Puoch Mar Wang,(4) John Jock Nguany Dhiok (5) Nip-Nip Reaths and Tut Bok Jock, plus others, Came to educated the Refugee children of whom I was one of them.
2.) Gat-Lual, is my hero and others of my age group of whom we started our grade one under his leadership as a director. Let me mentioned some of the few names of his students mentioned year above (1) Dobuny Ruot( 2) David, Guet Luak , (3) Pual Kuiy Yang (4 Gatdet Thon Wakou.(5) Chuol Gaka Yier (6) Gabriel Kech Nyuong Kier.(7) David Deng Chuor (8) and Myself, Bol Bol. The above names were his first students, at Itang, during, “Anyanya I”
3.) It was 1962, when Joshua left Sudan for the bush and became too late to joined Anyanya one as a soldier. In 1964, he stayed in the Refugee camp at Oder, in the welcoming of the Sudanese refugee by the Ethiopia Government and the UNHCR, for the first time in history. In a short , Joshua and the others, who had knew some English, were taken, to have followed up their education in Addis Ababa. From that time, Joshua, chosen not to be a refugee, any more, but he make himself to become an Ethiopia citizen. As a result, when he finished his high school, Joshua was employed by Ethiopia as a teacher, that was his first job.
4.) Regarding to the formation of ‘Anyanya II’ Joshua, was appointed to become the District commissioner at Itang. My self, as an eye witnessed, 1976-77, were the tough years for the Sudanese Refugee, because of the frequent attacked from Anyuak people to the refugee. At that time, Opal had played big role to protected the refugees women and their children. He opened his home doors so wide for the Victims to entered, while he kept, fighting and shooting his KP12 rifle to prevent the enemy of killing the Nuer children and their mothers, at that time.
5.) 1n 1982-1991, Joshua, service as a Govern in Gambella region, 12. He was the first, black man to service as a governor, since the Ethiopia Independent. From that time on, he has done a lots of worked of helped many of our students to get pass to come to Addis, for their education and sent some to learned in Gambella Senior secondary schools.
6.).In 1991, when Ethiopia government was over turned. Opal left for Nasir, his homeland and he was involved to changes some of things that had happened at that time, many of you know more that me, because, I was not there.
7.) I personally met Joshua Opal, Biel Jok Nhial and Tunyany Liew Yat, in Addis Ababa in 1994, from their trips to Khartoum and to Kenya. Their reason to go there, was search for peace, if you will!, by that time, eastern Jikany became the Target, with its constants attacked. Joshua and his group went to Khartoum, looking for some helped to protected the people of Sobat.
8.) Opal, is a good community leader and as well as a peacemaker too, since, the beginning of 2001. He became as Chairman of both NCA Factions, of the elders peace committee in which I serviced, as his Gen. sec. until up to the end of our resignation. As we all saw that, there wouldn’t be “ no” one Nasir community to functioned.
On my behave, and my family to all the Eastern Nuer community or Nuer people in General. We were sorry for the two lost at the same time. Let shares the pain, let prayer for the families to be blessed one more! Let God be with them. We all feel pain. This painful, is not to be avoidance, unless we will know what, we can do it.
We miss them, may the God Almighty forgiven their souls, both Uncle Joshua and his son . Gatbel Lul Koch!. Please let, join hands for supporting their families, be the goal to be met, either by all or individually.
Note, also, that the eight points, of which I wrote, are to helps, us as to be added to his Bio. of his Life time.
Bol Bol R/Bol.