Today is April 18, 2026. Three years and three days have elapsed since the notorious war began on April 15, 2023. Still, the de facto military regime hypocritically promises the Sudanese people that peace is near and that an overwhelming defeat of the Janjaweed–Rapid Support Forces is imminent. Sudanese people are still waiting for what they were told was ‘imminent.’ Much water has passed under the bridge, yet the Sudanese people are still waiting for that illusory promise to come true.
These questions arise: Have the Sudanese people learned any lessons from this ongoing, barbaric war? Has this brutal war provided them with anything of value? Is it truly a war of dignity? Is the slogan ‘glory for the gun’ actually, correct? Is the de facto military regime entirely in the right, while the opponents are completely wrong? Was the African Union wrong when it suspended the membership of Sudan? Was IGAD wrong when it denounced the war crimes? Were the United Nations and Security Council wrong when they, in the strongest possible terms, condemned the atrocities committed in the war? Was the European Union wrong, and was the Arab League wrong? were all those at the Berlin Conference wrong and those in Port Sudan, right? Is it true that the large majority of the opposition bloc is on the wrong track and that the small minority of Port Sudan is right? Is it true the Tasis forces are bombarding the local markets, rural hospitals, and infrastructural facilities while the military forces of Port Sudan are distributing sweets and flowers to the wounded and victims of the war? Why is the culture of vilification, criminalization, and demonization so embedded in Sudan’s political landscape?
War is the most notorious form of physical violence; nevertheless, it has advantages and benefits, particularly in its ongoing form. The ongoing, unethical, and barbaric war is the first and unprecedented of its kind in Sudan. Due to this brutal conflict, Sudanese people have widely agreed that war is a horrible and catastrophic thing. the ongoing war has affected every individual, every household, every family, and every aspect of life in Sudan. The vast majority of Sudanese people want this war to immediately stop. Previously, the suffering and hardship of war were concentrated only in certain parts of the country, specifically the South, the Blue Nile, the Nuba Mountains, and the Darfur region. Now, the war has crept into all corners of the country and has negatively impacted and afflicted all Sudanese people.
In consequence of the above-cited facts, the ongoing war has united many previously disunited groups and communities. Before this ongoing war, the Sudanese people took everything coming from the central government in Khartoum at face value; in their absolute naivety, they accepted it. Now, they are no longer going to take things at face value or for granted. They have changed from mindlessly accepting things to critically evaluating everything.
It is said that there are three types of people in the world: Those who never seem to be aware that things are happening around them, those who ask what just happened, and those who make things happen. Because of this ongoing war, the marginalized people of rural Sudan have changed from ‘those who never seem to be aware that things are happening around them’ to ‘those who make things happen.’ Sudanese people have liberated themselves from naivety.
Another good thing about this war is that there is an increasingly strong belief among the Sudanese people that this brutal and devastating war will be the last war in the country, and that the coming peace will be the most sustainable peace in Sudan. Such a belief is a good gesture or indication that Sudan is on the way to becoming a better place for its citizens.
After this war, a sense of justice and dignity will dominate. A sense of inferiority and superiority will disappear. Hate speech and ‘strange faces’ will no longer exist. No one will be more equal than others. After this devastating war, a secular democratic constitution will be in place. The rule of law will prevail, ensuring all are equal before it, and civilians’ rights will be protected. No religion will be superior to another, nor will one tribe, language, or culture be superior to another. all instruments of repression will be dismantled. all forces of corruption and marginalization will be uprooted. After this devastating war I firmly believe that all political parties in Sudan will start Sudanizing their political mentalities and revisiting their political programs and agendas.
I conclude this article by saying that the handful of people who want to fish in the murky waters of Sudanese politics will never succeed in their endeavor. after the war, the horse will be placed in its rightful place. it will be put before the cart.
No for War and No for Unsustainable Peace
Mahjoub S. G.
Kampala, Uganda
