Marnath was among the young boys that trekked to Ethiopia across South Sudan and are now known as the lost boys of Sudan. Michael Marnath Manyol was born in Nyuong Nuer village of Lueth in western Upper Nile. Lueth village is currently part of Panyinjiar county which is bordering Eastern Lake state.
In 1988, the eight years old Marnath and his cousins were selected as part of the unaccompanied minors. Like many boys who left the Nuer land and to cross Dinka’s land for the first time to Ethiopia, this was a new experience filled with challenges. Marnath and many of his friends left Shambe with a steamboat to the Dinka Bor side of the River Nile at the Eastern part of the river Nile. Some months earlier; a boat was carrying some boys sunk, and many were killed many young boys from Bentiu regions.
While in Ethiopia, Marnath and many of his Nuer boys were mixed with other tribes of South Sudan. Marnath was put together with a group of Dinka boys. Marnath made new friends, and he eventually became one of the best speakers in Dinka.
“Since the time I left my blood family behind, I have learned to live with many Dinka’s brothers. They took good care of me since my childhood in Ethiopia. Now, I can confidently speak, read and write in Dinka languages which I had thanked God the almighty for it. On the 14 of August 1992, God called me to the Episcopal Church of Sudan where I was learned a lot of Dinka’s Christian songs from Sunday school to youth in Kakuma refugees camp. I was living together with Abek of Twic East community as their son. And I have many friends in any community of Dinka.”
In Ethiopia, there were many young boys like Marnath who ended up knowing both Nuer and Dinka cultures. Some Dinka boys were able to speak Nuer, and the Nuer boys learn to speak in Dinka language. When fighting erupted between the Dinka and Nuer 1991, 2013, people like Marnath are caught in the middle because they have a connection on both sides of tribes. This was the case for Marnath who lost more than 6 members of his extended family in Juba when the conflict broke out on 15 Dec 2013.
“The worse thing for someone like me is seeing my beloved people killing each other, especially the Nuer and Dinka. I can say that my beloved two communities died for no reasons, but such leaves one with pain. Take an example, in 2013, I lost my best friend, who is a Dinka and then more than 6 members of my extended family. I am left with pain that can’t easily go away.”
Since Michael Marnath went to the United States and he now wanted to use his religious status to bridge the gap between the South Sudanese communities like Nuer and Dinka. Marnath saw the need to use both Nuer language and Dinka language to help these people understand that they are not enemies but South Sudanese.
“I came to the United States in 2001. My first trip to Africa was in 2006. Now God calls me into the church of the Nazarene as a pastor to perish His gospel to Dinka and Nuer to restore peace and unity among these wonderful tribes and my prayer is for all to forgive one another.”
