As I followed the tragic events in Sudan between two rival factions and saw the heavy toll on the Sudanese people, I recalled a statement by the late Ugandan President Idi Amin.
The former boxing champion once suggested settling his differences with Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere in a boxing ring, sparing their people the horrors of war.
This idea seems fitting for Abdel Fattah al Burhan, Chairman of the Transitional Military Council, and Mohamed Hamdan Hemedti, commander of the Rapid Support Forces. If they fought in a ring, it would save countless innocent lives and ease the burden on the Sudanese people.
Over a year into the Sudan war, millions of Sudanese are suffering more than ever, fleeing catastrophic conditions in the worst crisis in Africa's history. My friend, Sudanese journalist Ahmed Qasim Al Badawi, described this in a report titled 'Displaced Sudanese: The Journey of Fleeing from Death to Death.'
News from Gaza has overshadowed Sudan's struggles, where some Arab nations have intervened on one side.
According to new statistics, about a quarter of Sudan’s population has fled. The Associated Press reported that eight million people have left their homes, with ten million displaced internally and over two million seeking refuge in Chad, Central Africa, South Sudan, Egypt, and Kenya. The United Nations warns of widespread famine and death in Darfur and other regions if aid is blocked, as humanitarian needs are urgent.
Al Badawi, a refugee in Egypt, reports that cities in Sudan are now ghost towns reeking of death and destruction. Sudanese prefer fleeing north to Egypt, despite the risks, including fatal accidents and thirst in the desert.
Some exploit the situation, smuggling Sudanese into Egypt illegally. Hospitals in Aswan are overwhelmed with accident victims, and the morgue is full of dead Sudanese. The Sudanese consulate warns against illegal entry due to dangers and legal consequences.
The plight of refugees heading to Libya, Chad, Central Africa, and Ethiopia is equally tragic. People flee from one death to another, clinging to hope. Sudanese writer Azmi Abdel Razek describes Khartoum’s devastation: rare archaeological sites destroyed, and the Khartoum Natural Museum’s animals dying from thirst and hunger.
When a nation loses peace, it longs for the past, as seen in Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Yemen. The war between two factions in Sudan threatens more tragedy and displacement. While many Sudanese hope for an end, the Arab world seems indifferent.
Without optimism, I see no end in sight, as personal interests prevail over national unity. Sultan Qaboos once said, “A strong regime is better than a weak one,” but what if a regime is weak and dependent on outside agendas? That spells destruction.
If Al Badawi discussed his experience and observations of Sudanese refugees in Egypt, what if we read about the tragedy of migrants to the interior and to Libya, Chad, Central Africa, and Ethiopia? Certainly, it is no less tragic; man always lives in hope, so we find him fleeing from death to a death that may be more painful, even though the taste of death is the same.
Aside from the human tragedies, the Sudanese writer and journalist, Azmi Abdel Razek, draws in an article published on the Al Jazeera Net website a sad pen picture of the condition of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, which is no longer what it was.
Nothing that remains in it indicates that it is Khartoum, the bride of the Nile, with its fragrance and originality, and it is impossible to recognise it, after many of its rare archaeological monuments were destroyed or completely erased, as the Khartoum Natural Museum was destroyed, in which all the animals and birds died a slow death, due to thirst and hunger, and there are no other samples of it in Sudan.
When a nation - any nation - loses security and peace, it must yearn for the old days, in which people lived in safety. What is interesting is that this is what happened in Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Yemen, which confirms that the alternative was worse and that is why people revolted.
The inhuman conditions that millions of Sudanese are experiencing because of the war between two factions or people portend more tragedies, destruction, and the dispersal of the Sudanese people into internal and external exiles.
Many people wonder about the ending of the war, and the “many” meant here are the “Sudanese,” because the Arabs - it seems - do not care about what happens in Sudan, Gaza, or other Arab countries.
But - despite my constant optimism - I do not see a light in the tunnel, because there are those whose personal interests prevail over the interests of the nation, and the result is that one country becomes more than one country, and each region, state, or governorate has a piece of cloth fluttering in the air called a “flag.” This is what happened in more than one Arab country, and I remember here what Sultan Qaboos - may God rest his soul - said: “The presence of a strong regime in any country is better than the presence of a weak regime.”
This is a fact, but what if the regime was originally weak but was dependent on the outside world? Just implementing his agendas? Isn't that destruction of the homeland?
Translated by Badr al Dhafari
*The original version of this article was published in the print edition of Oman Arabic newspaper on July 8, 2024.
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