Jemma Nunu Kumba, the Speaker of the TNLA, received Malwal’s casket—draped in the national flag—at the parliament building, where lawmakers gathered to honour his legacy.
Speaker Nunu described the late Malwal as a professional journalist, diplomat, and minister whose contributions were instrumental in nation-building.
“We are here to pay our final respects and tribute to a great man. Through his biography and the heroic deeds that have been shared, we have heard what he did for this country,” Nunu said.
She urged lawmakers to emulate Malwal’s commitment to public service and to use their skills and professions for the betterment of the nation.
“As we mourn him, what can we take away from his life? Whatever position you hold—whether you are a messenger, a cleaner, a driver, a politician, or a doctor—do something to improve the lives of your people and the condition of your country,” she said.
Representing the family, Charles Majak described Malwal as a man whose friendships and influence spanned both Sudan and South Sudan.
“When our father passed, we were brought to this great house for which he fought—to make South Sudan a free and sovereign state. Today, we are that sovereign state, standing in this great parliament,” Majak remarked.
Born in 1928 in Bahr el Ghazal, Malwal hailed from Twic County in Warrap State. He was among the first generation of southern Sudanese to study in the United States, earning degrees from Indiana University and Columbia University. His father, Sultan Madut Ring, was the paramount chief of the Ajakuac section.
Malwal began his career in journalism, founding and editing newspapers such as The Vigilant and The Sudan Democratic Gazette, both of which championed the rights of southern Sudanese and later advocated for self-determination.
Following the 1972 Addis Ababa Agreement that ended Sudan’s first civil war, he joined the Sudanese government as Minister of Culture and Information, serving from 1973 to 1978.
After the 1989 Islamist-backed coup in Khartoum, Malwal went into exile in the United Kingdom, where he continued his political and publishing work.
He returned to Sudan after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005 and was appointed Presidential Advisor to then-President Omar al-Bashir—a position he held until South Sudan’s independence in 2011.
