Adeline Makundi: one year on, our memories are still fresh

One year ago, on 20 July 2010, in the small hours of morning, my sisterAde left us. Inevitable, as every living person must follow that path at one time or other, all we have to do is not to squat and lament and pray for impossible, but celebrate her life. Remember happy times with her.
I was perhaps the person most touched by Ade's demise as we two last of siblings grew up together at Komakundi village. Ade was my tutor, by the time I started schooling I was already conversant with some of the subjects being taught two classes ahead.
In this photo of 2007, Ade (in sleeveless blowse) is seated with her nieces Lilian and Naima.
Yes, she is still fresh in our memories.

New nation of South Sudan born: the way it should be for all troubled regions

Sudan people were given a chance to express their collective opinion by ballot what would be best for them: overwhelmingly, they voted to split south and north into two different nations. Granted under chaperonship of the United Nations, we now have a new nation, South Sudan, and everyone is happy.
There are other regions with long-running internal strife most of which lead to bloodshed. Sri lanka, a tiny island nation at the tip of the India subcontinent is one example where the minority Tamil had wanted to split and form an independent nation, but were defeated by the largely-Sinhalese government in power. Although humbled at present, such is adversity and mistrust for each other that some trouble might erupt in future. Referendum might reveal what the people of Sri Lanka, a coconut republic, may want. Rwanda, Burundi are other examples that should be allowed to say what they want through a ballot box.
Kurdish community is being fought in more than one country-Iran, Turkey, Syria, Iraq. These nations might rid themselves of headaches by carving out portions of their lands to create a new nation called Kurdia or something.