Bumpy Road

About the Book

The first Sudanese civil war destroyed relations between my father and his father. The second civil war displaced, made me a refugee, and forced me to leave my country. Even though war robbed me of my childhood and forced the responsibilities of an adult upon me, I refused to let the past negative experiences determine my fate. In addition to the woes of the Sudan’s civil wars on my family, my story includes my spiritual, political, and economic journey. It is a journey from Atemyath to Jesus Christ, from the world’s newest country to a nation that is one hundred and fifty years old. The anguish consequences of Sudan’s wars and my religious conversion are nothing compared with the failed institutional systems in the Republic of South Sudan, which are, corruption, nepotism, tribal based polices and especially the civil war that crippled the new nation. With these, one is left with nothing but to challenge fail status quo under SPLM leadership whether in the government or opposition. The “SPLM’s Entitlement Syndrome” within SPLM leadership, both in the government and in opposition has shattered hopes and dreams of South Sudanese since 2013.

About the Author

Martino Kunjok Arceluk was born in Mayen Abun in South Sudan. Martino does not know his real age, but he was forced to make up his birth date. His father Kunjok Arceluk fought in the firstSudan civil war, 1955-1972, also known as Anya Nya I War. Martino escaped the war-torn south Sudan to northern Sudan where he worked as a house servant. He then enrolled in elementary evening school in Kosti from 1987-1988. He moved to Omdurman and continued his studies. Martino never thought he would go beyond grade three; all he wanted was to learn how to read and write his name. In 1988-1989 he skipped two grades and joined grade six at Comboni School in Bhari Khartoum-North. Martino then proceeded to St. Augustine’s Minor Seminary in Khartoum from 1990-1994. In1995 he joined St. Paul’s National Major Seminary and graduated with Diploma of Philosophy. Martino was studying for priesthood but his family convinced him otherwise. He decided to enroll at University of Bahr El Ghazal, and studied education from 1997-1998. In the same year, war broke out in Wau City disrupting his university studies. He narrowly escaped death and fled to his home area in the southern Sudan, which was under Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-Army (SPLM-A) 1998. Towards the end of 1998, he fled Sudan to a Kenyan refugee camp. While there, Martino co-founded women literacy school in 1998-1999. He became a teacher at Napata Secondary School from 1999-2000 and in 2001, received scholarship to University of Regina through World University Services of Canada. He obtained two Bachelor degrees in Arts (2006) and Education (2010). Martino has taught in both Regina Public School and Regina Catholic School divisions and currently works with youth in the Ministry of Justice, Government of Saskatchewan.