1st Lt. Simon Sasanya, Prison Officer

Born in Juba city, he was a citizen of Central Equatoria State (CES) of Kuku ethnicity. Between 1976-1980, he attended Rumbek High School,1980-1981, enrolled in the Prison Academy in Khartoum. He earned a diploma in Prison Sciences, Law, Criminal Justice and Correction studies and deployed to Juba after graduation. He has five brothers. His beloved mother was killed by the Lord’s Resistance Army and there was no trace of her body. Lt. Sasanya was a brother of Dr. Susu who lives in Khartoum. Lt. Sasanya was married to an Acholi lady and has one girl.

Lt. Sasanya was a very remarkable person who liked his tradition, a very disciplined Officer, very discreet, very careful about whom he associates with, and very humane.

He adopted a Ma’adi child and cared for his school and treated the adopted son with dignity and respect, this was Sasanya’s humane side which exemplified God’s teaching of a good Samaritan.

His political activism started in Rumbek high school where he engaged in deep political discussions and debates. He was a politically minded person, never neutral and had political opinions on issues related to the future of Southern Sudan, because neutrality helped the oppressors, but never the victims. Additionally, he was well known during the student fighting between Equatorian versus Dinka. He and Awad Motto were greatest fighters and heroes of Equatorian students who chased the whole Dinka village out of Rumbek town.

From Ma mlitary perspective, he accompanied Maj. Gen. Clement Wani, for CES Governor in most of military operations in Southern Sudan and was in charge of a prison Platoon. This was one of his greatest achievements.

Hero Sasanya was a perfect example of what we should do to better in Equatoria. He served his country with respect and dignity. He endured great suffering for the sake of others and fought with defiant determination to inspire us the current generation to continue fighting for total freedom of all Equatorians, not just the few in Juba centre. He was a true Southerner nationalist who rejected northerners’ cultures of Arabization and Islamization of Sudan. If he were alive today, he would reject the current policy of dinkanazation which is equal to Arabization.