Hero Warrant Officer (WO) Amosa Laku

                          

Born in K’uda Payam in 1935, WO Amosa Laku was a citizen of Central Equatoria State (CES) of Yangwara ethnicity. In 1940, he attended basic school in the Karo language and in 1942, he was transferred to Juba to continue his studies at the Christian Missionary Society (CMS). After CMS he was admitted to the Yei teachers Institute, but WO Laku declined the admission offer and took employment offer at the Juba Town Council (JTC) that could earn him some cash to provide for his family. For the following year he worked at JTC as a messenger. In 1957 he enrolled in the Sudan Police force (SPF) in Juba town. He was one of the few Yangwara young men who joined SPF in the Post-Independent period.

Professionally, after graduating from SPF basic training, WO Laku served in Juba, CES, Torit, Eastern Equatoria State (EES), and Yamabio Western Equatoria State (WES). He served Sudan with dignity, decency, integrity, courage, loyalty, and professionalism. He worked along his colleagues Anthony Makana, the father of Hon. Lino Makana former Speaker of South Sudan Parliament and WO Al-Haja Mori, father of Lasu Kwaja, Secretary General of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOMA). He was respected as a man and a community protector.

Additionally, he worked under Robin Much (Dinka Bor), the corrupt and tribalist Police Director in Juba during the time of Kokora. Robin stripped him of the rank of Sergeant (SGT) and demoted to rank of private (Nafar). Robin accused him of firing bullets in the air to disperse the protesters. On a side note, Robin introduced and instituted the culture of discrimination, marginalization, and tribalization of police in the SPF. During the tenure of Robin, non-Dinka citizens of Equatoria in Juba experienced discrimination at police stations while Dinka enjoyed preferential treatment when reporting crimes committed by his tribesmen. For instance, most Dinkas enjoyed 1000% immunity from prosecutions whether related to corrupt politicians or not. Additionally, when a Dinka killed a non-Dinka or raped women and girls, looted properties or stole money, no arrest was made, nor any attempt to investigate the cause of the crimes or the crime itself. Currently, South Sudan is again experiencing the Dinka policy of preferential treatment. Dinka officials at all levels of government always offer fellow Dinkas protection regardless of his/her affiliation with corrupt politicians in the centre or not. This brings us to the family life of hero Amosa.

Socially, in 1960, WO Laku married Mrs. Khamisa (Ijang) Abud-Allah Rhama Juka Romba and had nine children: two boys, four girls and three who died. He is survived by his children Fataka Laku (Othman Rebuko) living in Canada, Kenyi Loku (Mabure) in Finland and Al-Tahir (Lo-Nginnya), Hayat, Najat, Sadia and Nahala all in Juba and four grandchildren. In addition to this, the WO Lakos’ brothers and sisters are James, Sopekin, Juma Paulo Prison Officer, Poni and Kiko. Beside being a great father, hero Amosa was a traditional person.

Traditionally, he loved to sing and dance Yangwara traditional songs at (Miri Nyarnyar-God loves) square and always with his contemporaries such as Chief Denis, Felix, Ustaz Waradi Lo-Yangwara the great composer and singer of Yangwara cultural melodies leading the crowds.

As community protector, hero Laku loved his members of his community in Juba and stood behind Equatorian citizens in difficulties times such as merisa/marisa Kasha (araki/beer brewed from sorghum and other grains). Always, he makes sure that, women (Scheika Ana’adyia) who were involved in the marisa business were protected. During the Khasha he woke early in the morning and went around the neighborhoods to make a cross sign at each door of a woman who brewed marisa to avoid police checks or inspections. This was how he protected the local marisa makers from police arrest and that might have implicated him later in his career in the 1992 Juba genocide.

Hero Amosa was accessed by the Jellaba Khartoum regime to provide arrest information to members of SPLA/M insiders in Juba and tipped off Capt. Thomas C. Swaka (Current C-in-C of NAS) to escape Juba. He was arrested and detained at Malakia Police Station and later transferred to military headquarter in Qa’ada. The last person to encounter him alive is Mr. Mudether and he was brutality beaten, in bad shape and killed by Omar Hassan Al-Bashir national security genocidaires.