By Yang Ater Yang
Paramount Chief Sultan, Madol Mathok Agolder, has passed away at the age of 87 in Juba following a prolonged illness.
The respected traditional leader died while battling sickness. His passing marks a significant loss to the Agaar community and South Sudan at large; he served for many years.
Sultan Madol Mathok Agolder was widely regarded for his leadership, wisdom, and dedication to peace and social cohesion within Rumbek Central County and beyond.
The caretaker commissioner of Rumbek Central County, Manyiel Riak Manyiel, confirmed that the paramount chief of Rumbek Central County, Lakes State, Madol Mathok Agolder, has died in Juba.
He said the untimely death of the Paramount Chief of Rumbek Central County has caused great shock to everyone in the community, not only in Rumbek Central but across Lakes State.
“The late paramount chief was a well-known community leader, by late Dr. John Garang de Mabior and the current president, Salva Kiir Mayardit, during the SPLA liberation movement through his immense participation and material contribution to the success of the SPLA liberation struggle from 1983 to 2005,” he said.
He said the details about the cause of his death in Juba are still with doctors and those who are with him in Juba.
He urged the youths, particularly in Rumbek Central County, to cease roaming on the highway with guns alongside the road between Rumbek and other counties of Lakes State.
Emmanuel Mading Manon, a member of the Kuei community of Rumbek Central County, said that they have lost a great man, paramount chief Madol Mathok Agolder.
He said the late paramount chief Madol Mathok was born on the 1st of January 1939, and he became an executive chief in 1976 following the death of his late brother Maker Mathok.
He said the late paramount chief Madol Mathok was brought from the Sudan police service back to succeed his late brother Maker Mathok following his death.
“The late paramount chief Madol Mathok passed away today as a result of a heart attack in Juba,” he said. “My message to the greater Rumbek community is that we have lost a great man of peace, and it is very unfortunate that we have lost a man who was our dictionary and a Bible and also a leader who was supposed to continue to live to guard us.”
He said the body of the late Paramount Chief Madol Mathok is still in Juba, and very soon he will be brought to Rumbek for burial, and that people are now preparing a graveyard at the roadside closer to the BROS hotel in Rumbek Central County.
He said the late Paramount Chief Madol Mathok was a great supporter of the SPLA liberation struggle, in which he mobilised youths to join the SPLA movement, and his area has hosted SPLA garrisons, and he mobilised food from the community to feed the liberation soldiers.
He said they were influential chiefs of the SPLA movement who contributed positively to the success of the SPLA liberation movement in most of the SPLA-controlled areas in Rumbek.
“The late paramount chief Madol Mathok has just left this world today without us having feedback to him so that he should see and benefit from what he sacrificed himself as a chief during the SPLA movement,” he said.
Daniel Kon Dhelbeny, a member of Rumbek Central County, said that they have heard of the death of our paramount chief, who was known as an elder man and peace maker for Agar community in general.
He said this is very sad news, and it’s something that surprised everybody.
“We are aware, and we know all these times that the late paramount chief Madol Mathok had a small sickness and was an old man. We didn’t realise that he would quickly pass away,” he said. “We heard that the late paramount chief Madol Mathok was taken to India by the president Salva Kiir Mayardit and that he came back peacefully.”
He said his unfortunate death was a great shock to everyone, and we are sending our condolences to the family of the late paramount chief Madol Mathok to give them courage and help them remain calm in this critical period.
He said the passing of the late paramount chief Madol Mathok is being mourned by all in the community, not only the family members.