COVID-19: South Sudan Lost Many Officials in Just 24 Hours Mysteriously

May 15, 2020(SSNN) — South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, lost at least 7 officials between 4pm on May 13 and 10am on May 14, 2020 to what the High level Taskforce reported as “short illness” while threatening the media over biased reporting of the Coronavirus.

High ranking generals who passed on between May 13 and May 14, 2020, Lt. Gen. Marial Nuor Jok, former head of military intelligence, Bullen Panchol Awal, former supreme Court Justice, Brig, Gen. John Madeng Gatduel, the head of south Sudan logistics at bilpam, Lt. Gen. Liah Diu Deng, former Anyanya two and SPLA general(Photo credit: SSNN)

Among the first highest ranking veterans who died on May 13, 2020 was Lt. Gen. Liah Diu Deng, one of the longest served Anyanya veterans, who died at 4pm in the Sudanese hospital in Khartoum, Sudan.

According to family members, the elderly general has been battling Hepatitis B for sometimes.

Within a matter of hours, Brigadier General John Madeng Gatduel, the former commissioner(2011) of Unity State’s Mayom County, suddenly passed at the Military Hospital in Juba, South Sudan. His death was officially confirmed at 8pm on May 13, 2020.

Gen. Madeng was the head of the South Sudan People Defense Force logistics at the army headquarters, Bilpham. His death was widely mourned on social media.

By the morning of May 14, more officials had died, some at night and others in the morning.

Among the officials, whose death were reported in the morning, include Lt. Gen. Marial Nuor Jok, the former head of the Military Intelligence (MI). No clear reports were released by the doctors who attended to him.

Within the same window of time, two other senior generals, Maj. Gen. Tang Wal and Brig. Gen. Rekeboam Arem Kun Nia, died from what was reported as “short illness”.

Brig. Gen. Rekeboam Arem was a well known teacher who has taught many officers from 1996 at New Cush Military Training College.

The death did not spare higher institutions either. Among the affected institutions include John Garang Memorial University of Science and Technology which has lost its former Vice Chancellor Prof. Aggrey Ayuen Majok.

South Sudan also lost one of its former judges of the Supreme Court, Justice Panchol Wal Alier.

Although South Sudan has only confirmed one death and three recoveries, report from the hospital that leaked out on May 13 indicates that by then at least five official died from Coronavirus.

“The lost of Gen. Madeng is a great tragedy to his family, Bul and South Sudan as a whole. Death has roped us of a great mind. I and Dr. Chep were so helpless seeing him dying in our hands despite our supportive ventilation with oxygen.” A doctor reports to South Sudan News Now.

“The Juba Military Referral Hospital pay her deepest heartfelt condolence to his family, friends and in-laws. The government of South Sudan need to learnt from these dear losses in a time of Covid-19 by supporting the capabilities of our health sector.” The doctor continued.

“Within a week, we have lost 5 precious high profile souls in the same manner, all reaching our ICU facility late after going through several private hospitals.” the report continued.

South Sudan has received more than ten millions USD from loans and other donations to fight the pandemic, however, the country has only purchased sixty [60] ventilators adding to the previously stocked 4 ventilators.

For many years, South Sudanese officials have been travelling to Europe over minor diseases as they had no confidence in their own hospitals and doctors; however, the coronavirus has locked down the country and other countries have also shutdown their doors leaving South Sudanese officials with no hopes but to battle the “short illnesses” within their very own capital.

More than 10 officials have died within the last one month; however, the cause of their deaths remain another mystery to be established.

South Sudan has reported 231 cases of coronavirus but many people, who have came into contact with those who tested positive, are yet to be tested.