Press Release

MAY YOUR SOUL REST IN PEACE, OUR NOBLE LEADER KOLANG

The Sudanese Community of Tennessee (Nashville) informs with the deepest sadness the sudden departure of the Community President, Mr. Kolang Konjie, who died on November 12, 2000, at the Nashville Murray Hospital.

Mr. Konjie was a founding member and the elected president of the Sudanese Community in the State of Tennessee, USA. He was born in Equatoria in the year 1965. With early political consciousness and serious concerns for community work, Kolang joined the students' movement in the schools of Equatoria and became an active member of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement. In 1995, Kolang was unlawfully arrested and brutally tortured by the NIF security forces of DarFur. The regime savage tortures failed to force Kolang to abandon his political commitments. Although he became seriously infected with a serious disease as a result of these tortures, he managed to escape the country to West Africa. He became a refugee in Liberia, married his wife, and were all granted political asylum in the United States to which they arrived and became residents since 1996.

Mr. Konjie 's life in the Diaspora exemplified his dedication to the Sudanese public concerns and national striving to construct the New Sudan. To the last minute of his life, Kolang continued to struggle for a Sudanese new society that would be based on fair and permanent peace, social equality, economic development, and the rule of law. The Sudanese Community will remember for ever the efforts Kolang made to establish unity between all Sudanese in Tennessee irrespective of religion, race, or political opinion. His continuous trips to Memphis and other cities of the State for this purpose and the Sudan Day he actively pursued at the State University emphasized the needs of our country to enjoy a fair and permanent peace, stop the civil war for ever, and maintain sustainable democratic rule to all citizens of the country.

The Sudanese Community wishes to thank the Nashville Metropolitan Administration and all of the Tennessean churches and the other respectful community associations that have generously supported with sincere condolences our community in this sad occasion. We have greatly lost with the death of Kolang Konjie his sincere dedication and devotion to the cause of Sudan's peace and national unity. The Community will continue with determination and will power the good efforts you strongly emphasized, our dear friend Kolang, to make of the Sudanese life in Tennessee, as you did elsewhere, as you always struggled at Home, a successful extension of our People's yearning for a flourishing existence of peace, tolerance, democracy, and the full enjoymentr of human rights in the Homeland.

The killer regime and the criminal security elements that subjected your precious youth to the injustices of political persecution, unlawful arrest, savage tortures, terminal disease, destitution, the difficult refugee life, and quick death will never rest in peace.

Our deep condolences to all Sudanese at Home and in the Diaspora, and to your patient family. May the Lord have mercy on your soul. May your soul rest in peace, our noble leader Kolang.

For the Sudanese Community Executive Committee:
Galuak Duop Deeth, Deputy President
Suliman Bakhit
Zeinab Osman
Juma' Laso
Ahmed Barsham Al-Ansari
Jabir Komondan
Dot Gubrial
Mahgoub El-Tigani