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Garang de Mabior, John

Rebel leader and Sudanese vicepresident 2005

(23.06.1945 in Wagkulei, Sudan - 30.07.2005 Southern Sudan)
Garang belonged to the tribe of the Dinka and was born in to a poor family. His parents died early, he spent his school time in a boarding school in Tanzania. Later he studied at the university in Iowa / USA where he acquired his Bachelor of Science. After his USA stay he went back to Tanzania where he worked at the university of Dar es Salaam. There he joined together with his friend, later Ugandan president Museveni the students movement 'University Students African Recovery Front' . In 1970 Garang returned to Sudan where he started a military career. Within the scope of the officer's education he went for several years to the USA where he studied in Iowa State University economics and finished with a doctorate in agrarian economy. From 1982 he taught at the university in Khartum, until he changed sides in 1983 when he was intended by at that time president Muhammad an-Numayri to knock down an uprising in Souther Sudan. He founded, instead, the Sudanese People's Liberation Army SPLA and fought for 20 years a bitter fight for the independence of Southern Sudan from Khartum. He was highly respected, but not liked because of his extremely dictatorial leadership style. After long negotiations a peace agreement was signed on the 9th July, 2005 between the rebel movement and the Sudanese government in Khartum. One part of the agreement determined, that South Sudan would have an medium term option to choose a way into independence by a plebiscite., that half of the oil revenues would also flow into projects in South Sudan and that John Garang would be appointed the newly created post of vice-president. On 9.07.2005 the newly created government of national unity was sworn in. Just three weeks later, on 30.07.2005 the helicopter carrying Garang and 13 others back from a meeting with Ugandan president Museveni to Sudan crashed in bad weather in South Sudan, leaving all passengers dead. The announcement of Garangs death was followed by riots in Khartum. On 4.08.2005 Garangs deputy in the SPLA, Salva Kiir, was sworn in as new vice-president.