Let us confess that we are all by one way or another, without exception, tribalistic in our attitudes, thinking, behaviours, and practices. We are tribalistic in our ways of seeing things, in our ways of interpreting and perceiving what we see around us. We are tribalistic to the core whether we like this naked fact or not. In Sudan, your tribe comes first, and your ethnic group comes second, and your geographical region comes third, whereas your Sudanism comes last. Sadly, this hierarchical structure is the norm of the day in Sudan. It is said Sudan is composed of more than five hundred eighty tribes or ethnic groups. Just imagine that if we tribally or ethnically entrenched ourselves into these five hundred eighty plus tribes or ethnic groups, what would be the result. The result will be as simple as that, we will be carrying more than five hundred eighty tribal/ethnic visions, we will be carrying more than five hundred eighty tribal/ethnic missions, we will be carrying more than five hundred eighty tribal/ethnic goals, and we will be carrying more than five hundred eighty tribal/ethnic principles and values and we will be having more than five hundred eighty tribal/ethnic political parties to achieve our diverse visions and strategic goals.
In the absence of a national project, such chaotic situations are very possible. Trilal Will crops up, while National Will perishes and fades away. How can such tribes or ethnic groups coexist peacefully? How can such tribes or ethnic groups build sustainable peace or sustainable development? How can they build a robust state?
Ancient Greeks believed that there were three kinds of people in society. They classified them as follows: idiots, tribesmen, and citizens.
An idiot, in our modern use, is a stupid or foolish person, but for ancient Greeks idiot had a different meaning and did not carry the derogatory or insulting sense that it does carry today The ancient Greeks’ understanding of an idiot referred to someone who was a private citizen or a person who did not actively participate in public life or politics. Idiots were those who lived for themselves only. They are utterly selfish, without character, seeking only their own well-being to the detriment of society.
Tribesmen were one step away from the idiots because they had a wider group. They do not see beyond their tribes. Tribesmen are persons who nurse narrow mindsets. They perceive other groups to be less worthy and to be in existential struggle with theirs. They are instinctively suspicious of anyone who is not like them and immediately seek their exclusion.
The third kind of people in the society, according to the Greeks, were the citizens. Citizens had mindsets and skill sets to live public live. They were inclusive, selfless, and imbued with a sense of the common good. It is the citizens that build the nations, not the idiots or tribesmen. Citizens are the individuals whose interest is to actualize the shared vision of their country; whose interest is to make their country a better place; whose interest is to build a sustainable peace and development; and whose interest is make the well-being of their people come true. From Ancient Greeks’ perspective, It is the citizens that build states and nations.
I feel proud to be a member of my tribe or ethnic group. I feel proud to speak the language of my tribe. I feel proud to belong to my tribe because it is the source of my origin, DNA, and genetic structure. My tribe is the source of my identity. Nevertheless, these privileges should not confine me to cocoon myself into that comfort zone of tribalism or ethnoism. I should not see the world around me through the lens of my tribe or ethnic group. I should not interpret things through my tribe’s perspective. Entrenching ourselves blindly behind our tribal or ethnic shields will make us tribalistic in its negative sense and ugly form. It is unfortunate that all Sudanese people fall prey to this trap. Sudanese people look to each other through these lenses of tribalism and ethnoism. We, Sudanese nations, are in desperate need to develop one transparent lens with the color of Sudanism that reflects our flavor and uniqueness, if we genuinely mean to build the desired United Nations of New Sudan that accommodates our diversity.
Idiots never build the desired United Nations of New Sudan; likewise, tribesmen or tribespeople in their negative and ugly form or context will never build the desired United Nations of New Sudan Transforming idiots and tribespeople into citizens is the sole path forward towards building the desired United Nations of New Sudan. I strongly believe that the transformation of our idiots and tribespeople, as a process, is a tedious task. It necessitates tirelessly pooling our efforts, resources, and physical and mental capacities in order to make this transformation a reality. Please let us not mistake transformation for assimilation. Such a mistake is a lethal mistake that will spoil the entire idea of transformation. Transformation is something, whereas assimilation is something else.
The absence of a shared Sudan National Project that reflects our shared interests, aspirations, and vision is the taproot of the Sudanese dilemma. When there is a challenge, Sudanese people resort to their respective tribes or ethnic groups in pursuit of protection or support. It is simply because there is no reference, no National Project that encounters such a challenge or challenges. Sudanese people embrace their respective tribal or ethnic visions because the country has no shared vision that unites its citizens. Sudanese people adopt their respective tribal and ethnic goals because the state is in short supply of strategic goals that aim at solving the challenges and problems encountering the citizens. Tribalism and ethnicity play an important and decisive role in drawing the political landscape of this unfortunate country. Sudan is really lacking a National Will.
I conclude by saying that when there is no National Will Tribal and Ethic Will will dominate. The absence of National Will gives rise to tribal and ethnic Will to germinate and grow. A National Will is intrinsically correlated with the National Project. They are two faces of the same coin. No National Will without National Project. We need to celebrate, be proud, and happy because we belong to our respective tribes and ethnic groups. We need to develop our respective languages and cultures in order to enrich the Sudanese culture.
Yes, time is running short. Nevertheless, it is not too late. There is still time before it is too late. Building the desired New Sudan is very laborious. Sudanese people need to remove idiotism through a transformation process. Sudanese people need to decolonize themselves from tribalism in its negative and ugly form and context. Sudan is so large and so big that it can accommodate all of us with our stark diversity, providing that we do away with idiots and negative tribespeople and build committed citizens and principled leadership. Civil society organization must be empowered and equipped with the necessary kills and tools in order to adopt the transformation process through imbuing our idiots and negative tribespeople with national principles, values, unity, and togetherness spirit in order the New Sudan that we all aspire.
Our dilemma is that the number of idiots and tribesmen outstrips the number of citizens, which is why Sudanese nations witness stagnation and decline in everything in their lives. The ideal situation is to converse this equation by making citizens’ number surpasses the number of tribesmen and idiots. It is such an ideal equation that makes Sudanese nations thrive.
LET US BE SUDANESE CITIZENS
No glory for gun, yes glory for peace
Stay well,
Mahjoub S. G. F.
Kampala, Uganda
