Majur Nhial Makol was born at Pathuyith village in Dinka Bor area in 1946 and went to School at Mathiang court centre. Majur went across South Sudan attending different schools that include Juba commercial secondary School, Khartoum University where he obtained a Bachelor Degree in Economics and Master Degree in Economics Development from Cambridge University in 1977. Majur worked in the Ministry of finance before he was transferred to Police Department in the South Sudanese Government High Executive Council in the 1970s. By 1983, Majur was promoted to the rank of Lt Colonel and that when the war started in Bor. Instead of following his career, Majur joined a group of South Sudanese who defected in Bor on 16/05/1983 after the Sudanese army attacked the Garrison of Malualchat. Malualchat which is located in the South East of Bor town was the headquarter of the predominantly south Sudanese 105 battalion which was absorbed into the Sudanese army in 1973. Majur was at the same rank with Dr. John Garang de Mabior but he was senior.
After they joined up with leaders from the Anyanya two which Akuot Atem, Abdalla Chuol were the part, Majur who was urged by his community members to contest the leadership during the early formation of the Movement decided to support Dr. John Garang de Mabior despite his rank. Between 1983 and 1993, Majur served at the various position within the SPLM/A. Majur was arrested in Pageri and on which he became a witness during the mistreatment of his colleagues in prison. Such situation in Pageri prompted him to seek the intervention of Amnesty International after his release. Majur manage to sent a letter of protest to Amnesty International.
In a letter to Amnesty International, Majur narrated the story of torture and mistreatment of the prisoners many of whom were senior officials of the movement. This letter was later obtained by the SPLM/A's leadership and that caused a great stir. Majur in his letter reported the mistreatment and what he termed as the 'intended negligent by the leadership toward some intellectuals from certain communities'.
After they joined up with leaders from the Anyanya two which Akuot Atem, Abdalla Chuol were the part, Majur who was urged by his community members to contest the leadership during the early formation of the Movement decided to support Dr. John Garang de Mabior despite his rank. Between 1983 and 1993, Majur served at the various position within the SPLM/A. Majur was arrested in Pageri and on which he became a witness during the mistreatment of his colleagues in prison. Such situation in Pageri prompted him to seek the intervention of Amnesty International after his release. Majur manage to sent a letter of protest to Amnesty International.
In a letter to Amnesty International, Majur narrated the story of torture and mistreatment of the prisoners many of whom were senior officials of the movement. This letter was later obtained by the SPLM/A's leadership and that caused a great stir. Majur in his letter reported the mistreatment and what he termed as the 'intended negligent by the leadership toward some intellectuals from certain communities'.
Majur cited the torture and the mistreatment of Akuak Kudum who was alleged to have been hit on his head with pistol Beretta 92 according to the eyewitness. Another injury which is believed to have contributed to the death of Akuak was when the warden hit on his testicles while he was being tortured. The internal bleedings and injuries are alleged to have caused the death of Akuak Kudum in Pageri prison.
Majur said that the relatives of Akuak rejected to bury him because they needed to know who and what killed him? Akuak was later buried near the prison at Pageri.
When he was still in prison at Pageri; Majur was joined by many political detainees from Bor who were alleged to have planned a clandestine coup against the leadership of SPLM/A. These people include Akuak Kudum, Makuei Deng, Alier Apollo and many others. The mistreatment forced Majur out of SPLM and he briefly switched sides between the North and South Sudan.
In 2005, Majur was retired by Dr. John Garang from the military service but appointed as Auditor General the position that fit his profession as an economist but he was never allowed serve that position by the new leadership of the Government of South Sudan. His appointment was shortlived by Dr. John Garang de Mabior. Majur was again taken to Police and retired at the rank of Lt General in the South Sudanese police. Majur had a mild stroke according to what he narrated in this interview and the family had tried to treat him for the last four years until his passing on 25/04/2018.
“When I left Bor in 1983 with the rank of Lt Colonel from police and postgraduate of Cambridge University. I became the second ambassador after Lual Diing Wol to Libya. I helped in setting up the first SPLA/M radio in Libya which uses to broadcast for one hour. In the SPLA, I was arrested 7 times, sentenced to death three times but I am alive today because Dr. John Garang de Mabior intervened. Most of this arrest was done by Lam Akol, Salva Kiir, Karbino and William Nyuon. My last arrest in Pageri was done by Salva Kiir in which I was sentenced for firing squad but someone again leaked the news to Garang. I never met Garang after every release but I have been told that there is an ordered to release you. I was arrested by Lam Akol at Abuong for 1 year and then transfer to Bilpam. I walked while shackled from Abuong to Bilpam. I was kept in the same prison with Paul Malong Awan. Sometime later, Malong went on hunger strike for almost same days. At that point, I manage to sneak out of prison and helped to communicate the message to Dr. John Garang on the radio that one of his officers was almost dying in prison on hunger strike. Dr. John Garang immediately ordered the review of cases within 72 hours and that how we survived the Bilpam prison."
