10/06/2025
The Former Contestant, Akol Kur, wrote what he calls "Pledge of Support to Chairman Cde. Joseph Kuel Garang and his team!"
The recent Facebook post shared in Akol's timeline this afternoon reads:...
As the new body is inaugurated and welcomed by the community of Awan Muorkuau and our neighbors, I am proud and honoured to pledge my support to them. I encourage them to take on their new roles in delivering services to our people who are in need.
Even though I was a contestant for the AMYA position ultimately won by Joseph Kuel, I have no ill intentions towards this leadership. I promise to remain steadfast in my support, standing by them through any challenges that may arise. My goal is to ensure that our community remains united and peaceful, like other communities in our country.
Some misunderstood our fate during the campaign. All we had been doing was not for individual interests or someone's dreams. We contested to make sure that whoever is going to win shall serve the interests of Awan Muorkuau community as a whole. We also did so to send a message to young people that people contest to show democracy and, above all, that forgiveness should remain paramount among the youth.
Today, as you are reading this message, it is something coming deeply from my inner heart to my family, friends, colleagues, my supporters, and whoever was supporting us in different ways to ensure that we forgive each other and rally behind the leadership of Joseph Kuel Garang as our chairman.
Many people have taken advantage of our campaign and the duration of service delivery as a way to promote their hidden hatred and seek revenge for their own benefit. However, I have noted the problem.
I urge everyone to put an end to hostilities and prioritize Awan Mourkuau as our primary agenda, as I did.
There can be no good leadership without harmony among us. I chose peace among so many things for Awan Mourkuau youth to see the light. I can sell my blood for Awan Mourkuau to progress, and my interest will not have a place before my community.
This is my upbringing principle.
During my campaign, I was the only candidate who had faced numerous challenges, including painful issues that no other candidate had had to endure. I have been betrayed, humiliated multiple times to elders in an attempt to tarnish my image, falsely accused of crimes, and had my privacy violated by being accused of fraudulent, insulting Chief and various sections of my community through my WhatsApp messages. I have even received death threats, with my own family being dragged into the daily conversations surrounding my campaign, but I didn't give a Damn to anybody because of peace. In my community (Pajok), the selection process for voters has been biased against me, with individuals who support me being deliberately excluded from delegations in order to convey the message that I am widely disliked, yet I have never done anything that reflected bad image to our community since my childhood. Despite all of these challenges, I am reminded of a question that one of Jesus' followers posed to him - He asks Jesus, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus responds, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."
With boundless mercy and grace towards others, Jesus teaches that forgiveness should be unlimited and given freely, mirroring the forgiveness we receive from God.
This is just a brief statement, I didn't go into details, but I want us to make Awan Muorkuau community to be the first, and choose peace to prevail afterwards. I don't want people to create division with my name, nor do I want my child or any of my relatives to do so. If anyone wants to create disputes, they can do so in their own way, but let's bring Awan Muorkuau community back to normalcy. To my elders and seniors brother, I request you to wake up one morning and face the mirror and ask yourself what is Awan? During my campaign, everyone thought I was only looking for a position, but I was looking for patriotic people.
I am human, and I may have wronged you in different ways. Thoughts can lead me to the wrong path at times. I don't consider myself to be perfect, and if I have made mistakes, I humbly ask for forgiveness.
Losing the election doesn't mean that I am hated by the community. FYI, I am loved. Some community members have never even met me, and I have not met them either. The voters had to choose a leader, and they chose Joseph Kuel Garang. My brother and I, who did not win, still have a bright future ahead of us, and we know that the community still loves us.
Dear Joseph Kuel, You are loved by the people, which is why you have been chosen as a leader.
However, don't give that love to individuals. Give it back to Awan as you lead.
I advise you to stand firm in your leadership and unite the youth from different backgrounds, teaching them skills and knowledge to help them thrive in the future.
There are reports of individuals being criticized for not being the choice of certain people, such as Mr. X and Y. I urge you to discourage this campaign and not tolerate any divisive actions. Such behaviour only promotes hatred and division, and my brother and I will stand with you against it. But wisely choose to be democratic with your team, pal raan Akol and raan kuel, me and you,we don't have people, even our kids belong to Awan not us.
I read your manifesto, and one of your objectives was peace and unity. If you want to bring us together as youth, prioritize love, and don't only select your own preferred people to work with you. Kindly include everyone in your team. Show that you are loyal to all, regardless of their political differences. After you have shown your good leadership qualities to them, allow them to prove themselves to you that they don't want to work with you.
As you are sworn in with your team, I request you to prioritize capacity building. It was not meant for me, sports, education, and health, followed by many others.
Even though we may have had our differences during the campaign, I believe that it is important for us to come together for the greater good of our community. I look forward to finding common ground, working together on shared goals, and continuing to make positive changes in our community.
I wish you all the best in your new position and have no doubt that you will bring great leadership and vision to the role. Congratulations once again, and here's to a bright future for us all.
Regards,
Akol Kur Akoon-Dienkuei.
AMYA, Former Contestant.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are entirely for the author, and AMMR has not contributed any viewpoints.
