Francis Mading Deng

Over a forty-year career, Dr Francis Mading Deng, South Sudan's most eminent statesman, diplomat and academic, became one of Africa's most prolific writers. His catalogue includes books (fiction and non-fiction), journal articles, policy documents, reports, opinion pieces, think tank analysis, and more. This collection of his writings will lead the reader through his early years as a young scholar, (and first person from Southern Sudan to gain a PhD), recording Dinka traditions through songs and folktales, interviews with elder Chiefs, and the customary laws of his indigenous society. His writing did not slow down during the many roles played, which includeed academic, politician, and peace negotiator for the conflicts in Sudan and South Sudan. He also served the UN as representative of the Secreatary-General and advisor in mandates on displacement and genocide prevention. This Is In addition to his life-long commitment to the resolution of the crisis in the contested territory of Abyei - his homeland. Compelling and challenging, sometimes contentious, these writings trace the extraordinary career of one of Africa's greatest intellects and his rich and nuanced explorations of history, politics, conflict resolution, humanitarianism, sovereignty, war, peace and culture.

Over a forty-year career, Dr Francis Mading Deng, South Sudan's most eminent statesman, diplomat and academic, became one of Africa's most prolific writers. His catalogue includes books (fiction and non-fiction), journal articles, policy documents, reports, opinion pieces, think tank analysis, and more. This collection of his writings will lead the reader through his early years as a young scholar, (and first person from Southern Sudan to gain a PhD), recording Dinka traditions through songs and folktales, interviews with elder Chiefs, and the customary laws of his indigenous society. His writing did not slow down during the many roles played, which includeed academic, politician, and peace negotiator for the conflicts in Sudan and South Sudan. He also served the UN as representative of the Secreatary-General and advisor in mandates on displacement and genocide prevention. This Is In addition to his life-long commitment to the resolution of the crisis in the contested territory of Abyei - his homeland. Compelling and challenging, sometimes contentious, these writings trace the extraordinary career of one of Africa's greatest intellects and his rich and nuanced explorations of history, politics, conflict resolution, humanitarianism, sovereignty, war, peace and culture.

In 1973, during the one year anniversary celebrations of the Addis Ababa Agreement which had ended Sudan's first civil war (1955-1972) and granted autonomy to the southern region of Sudan, Dr. Francis Mading Deng, himself the son of the Ngok Dinka Paramount Chief, sat with other Dinka chiefs in Juba and recorded their conversations - the first oral history collection by a Southern Sudanese. The Agreement had granted Southern Sudan regional autonomy and hailing the achievement of peace, they spoke of their concerns and questions for the future. Would Arab and Dinka become one and live together in peace? Should inter-marriage be accepted and encouraged? What will become of the government and the future of the country? Would Chiefs continue to play their traditional role or would their leadership be replaced by the newly-emerging educated class - which Dr. Deng, as the first Southern Sudanese to gain a PhD, was a leading member of? These Chiefs also spoke of the ancient past; sharing stories of creation, ancestors and migration and the recent past; of oppression, slavery and war and the spiritual and cultural beliefs of their cattle-centered culture. From these recordings came two extraordinary books. Africans of Two Worlds: The Dinka in Afro-Arab Sudan in 1978, reissued as The Changing World of the Dinka. In 1980, Dinka Cosmology, followed - now reissued as Dinka World View: The Wisdom of the Elders. These seminal works were ground-breaking; not only marking a critical moment in one of the many African struggles for cultural, political, religious freedoms and survival, but in giving voice to oral cultures and their esteemed elders. In the 21st century, these books have lost none of their power and are critical reading for anyone interested in African history and South Sudan's long struggle for independence. However, what makes these two books really stand out, is the way they captured the Chiefs recognition that their culture was changing. Not only had war introduced a new period of governance, but that the spoken word was being replaced by the written word - and the future was uncertain.

The Dinka: A Nilotic Lifecycle was first published in 1972, as The Dinka of Sudan, which was published again in 1984 and 1986. On its 50th anniversary year of publication, the book has been reissued; as relevant and vital in the 21st century, as any other era. Its author, Dr. Francis Mading Deng, is one of South Sudan's most revered statesmen and scholars, having published over 40 books during a distinguished career as an academic, UN official, and diplomat. As a Dinka, Dr. Deng writes of his own culture in rich and fascinating detail - as only an insider can. He added to that detail in the 1986 release by addressing the significant changes the ancient Dinka culture was experiencing, including the tragedy of civil war. In this issue, the author notes further change, particularly, the impact of South Sudan gaining its independence in 2011. He also addresses the dilemma of studying the culture of one ethnic group by a member of that group - in a country that is rich with ethnic diversity. It is a rare and exceptional thing that a book endures for a period of fifty years, let alone a book that is the first of its kind; one which describes South Sudan's largest ethnic group, authored by a member of that group, updated by that author and now issued for the fourth time. The Dinka: A Nilotic Lifecycle is a masterwork that stands out for those reasons - and because it is a compelling and intriguing read.

The Dinka: A Nilotic Lifecycle was first published in 1972, as The Dinka of Sudan, which was published again in 1984 and 1986. On its 50th anniversary year of publication, the book has been reissued; as relevant and vital in the 21st century, as any other era. Its author, Dr. Francis Mading Deng, is one of South Sudan's most revered statesmen and scholars, having published over 40 books during a distinguished career as an academic, UN official, and diplomat. As a Dinka, Dr. Deng writes of his own culture in rich and fascinating detail - as only an insider can. He added to that detail in the 1986 release by addressing the significant changes the ancient Dinka culture was experiencing, including the tragedy of civil war. In this issue, the author notes further change, particularly, the impact of South Sudan gaining its independence in 2011. He also addresses the dilemma of studying the culture of one ethnic group by a member of that group - in a country that is rich with ethnic diversity. It is a rare and exceptional thing that a book endures for a period of fifty years, let alone a book that is the first of its kind; one which describes South Sudan's largest ethnic group, authored by a member of that group, updated by that author and now issued for the fourth time. The Dinka: A Nilotic Lifecycle is a masterwork that stands out for those reasons - and because it is a compelling and intriguing read.

This book—part memoir, part political statement—examines the influence of the author’s maternal and paternal ancestry on his life. Delving into the rich history of Francis Mading Deng’s heritage, Blood of Two Streams acts as a bridge to cross-cultural understanding and multidisciplinary connection between the personal, the communal, and the universal.

Francis Deng was in his second year in 1958-9, one of only four or five Southern law students. He was one of the favoured sons of Deng Majok, the well-known Paramount Chief of the Ngok Dinka, the only Nilotic people to live in Northern Sudan. Francis was quite short for a Dinka, only about six-foot, but he was recognizably Nilotic and, without putting on airs, had a dignified aristocratic bearing. He spoke very good English and Arabic and, in some respects, became a leader of the whole class, not just the few Southerners, for instance, leading an expedition to Germany during a long vacation. Oliver Farran and I encouraged him to gather information about Dinka custom and this turned out to be the beginning of his life-long involvement with writing about Dinka culture. In 1965 in New Haven, I helped to record his memories of his childhood and education from his father's compound, through village, primary, and secondary school, to universities in Khartoum, London and Yale. This became an intimate memoir, the publication of which awaits his retirement from public life. Francis later followed a very distinguished academic, political and diplomatic career as well as publishing about forty books. After sixty years, we are still close friends.Prof William Twining.

'I read Visitations: Conversations with the Ghost of the Chairman with great ambivalence. On the one hand I turned each page with eager anticipation of what these two great souls, one dead and one alive, would reveal next about one of the great revolutionary struggles of our time. And yet, on the other hand, I knew that this heroic struggle waged, in their own way, by the scholar diplomat, Francis Mading Deng and the liberation leader, John Garang de Mabior has ended tragically with more ghosts of a once hopeful people. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in knowing how the hopes of one generation can so tragically and so quickly turn to the hopelessness of another generation]' -Vasu Gounden, Executive Director, African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) 'Writing literary form gets to be whatever you want it to be. I appreciate that you told the story in this way as I think it is a heck of a lot more interesting than reading a straight memoir on the topic. Also, I very much like the Chairman. He is direct and matter-of-fact, and incredibly wise. There are definitely two voices here and both are interesting and contribute much to the story. I find this fiction/nonfiction blend a clever approach to writing a memoir.'-Michelle Poff, PhD, Communication Scientist 'Artful, delightful, and fascinating storytelling with the seriousness of lifelong purpose, Dr Francis Deng has written an arresting account of South Sudan's struggle for independence. This book turns a global diplomat into a passionate master narrator of complex history, broad concepts, long term vision, and personal experience. Deng, a former Under-Secretary General and Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide and now a peacemaker, has effectively employed the art of storytelling to convey messages of nation building and peace-making to his people and beyond. I have read countless narratives but this stands out as the easiest for many Africans to relate to.' -Dr Mehari Taddele Maru 'South Sudan's most prominent intellectual Francis Deng has written a rich, innovative, and fascinating meditation on his new country's continuing challenges based on a highly original form of dialogue he has with the ghost of South Sudan's martyred 'Founding Father' John Garang in this fascinating novel of ideas.' -Professor Adekeye Adebajo, Director, Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation, University of Johannesburg

Since its independence on January 1, 1956, Sudan has been at war with itself. Through the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) of 2005, the North–South dimension of the conflict was seemingly resolved by the independence of the South on July 9, 2011. However, as a result of issues that were not resolved by the CPA, conflicts within the two countries have reignited conflict between them because of allegations of support for each other's rebels. In Bound by Conflict: Dilemmas of the Two Sudans, Francis M. Deng and Daniel J. Deng critique the tendency to see these conflicts as separate and to seek isolated solutions for them, when, in fact, they are closely intertwined. The policy implication is that resolving conflicts within the two Sudans is critical to the prospects of achieving peace, security, and stability between them, with the potential of moving them to some form of meaningful association.

In this brief but comprehensive book, Francis Deng offers a creative analysis of the situation, aimed at addressing, and hopefully resolving, the complex dilemmas confronting Sudan, Africa, and the international community over the critical choice the South will make in January 2011—unity or secession. This book is a powerful statement by an individual who is deeply concerned about the plight of his people and the destiny of his country, a man who, in many ways, symbolizes the lofty aspirations for unity in which diversity is seen as a source of enrichment and not of destructive conflict, a unity of full equality among all its citizens. Sudan at the Brink is a must-read for all those concerned with developments in Sudan at this critical juncture in the history of the country. Whatever decision the Sudanese make in the January 2011 referendum, it is imperative that it be an informed choice carefully weighing the implications of secession versus unity. These profound options will likely be debated in the United Nations General Assembly. They will also be carefully considered in multiple other forums where the future of humanitarian action, peacekeeping, and development are considered.