When the colonial system had left the country; it left behind it two legacies; one of them was good while the other was bad. The good legacy was the Civil Service; the bad legacy was the Military Service. Civil Service is about serving civilians in an orderly manner. Civil Service is about providing quality services to the civilians, it is about being honest, transparent, accountable, just, loyal, responsive, responsible, fair, neutral, patient, frank, and suchlike, when you serve people. Civil Service is about treating people with dignity, it is about keeping the same distance from everyone and every person irrespective of their color, religion, social status, political affiliation, language, or whatever as long as he or she is a human being and Sudanese. Civil Service is about public servants who manage public affairs, implement polices, and provide services in a fair manner. The colonial system developed a robust and sound Civil Service in Sudan and departed.
Had the Civil Service been maintained, sustained, and developed, Sudan would have taken off and would have propelled into the promised land and its people would have been enjoying the fruits of the quality life. Had the Civil Service been kept intact, corruption and corrupt entities and corrupt individuals wouldn’t have invaded our institutions and government structures. Had the Civil Service been in place, nepotism, cronyism, and favoritism would have been uprooted and eradicated from government’s structures and institutions. Had the Civil Service been maintained and developed, nonsensical wars and violent acts wouldn’t have broken out and hate speech wouldn’t have dominated the scene and the strange faces’ law wouldn’t have been issued. Had the Civil Service been protected by the successive civil democratic governments and Military Regimes, poverty, illiteracy, and disease wouldn’t have cropped up with their ugly faces. Had the Civil Service been protected, all structural forces of oppression, suppression, and brutality wouldn’t have found a space for their cruel acts and notorious deeds. Had the Civil Service been sustained and developed, the current Revolutionary Armed Movements and Forces wouldn’t have found any strong justification to take up arms and join the bush but rather directing their forces and efforts toward building the country. Had the Civil Service been maintained, political parties would have been narrowed down or boiled down into a few handfuls of committed and loyal national political parties with genuine national agendas and visions. Had the Civil Service been preserved, Sudan wouldn’t have split into two opponent and fragile countries.
But alas! Politics is Sudan is a dirty game. It is only in Sudan that one can see that dirtiness and messiness of politics. Politics in other countries is a way of life; it is a way to, wisely, manage the country’s resources, a way to administer country’s affairs, and progress. There, it is a fair game, but here, in Sudan, it is a dirty game. It is only in Sudan that politics is a dirty game. Unfortunately, Sudanese political parties jumped into the robust and sound Civil Service system and spoiled it to the core. Military Establishment, as well, jumped in it too and added insult to injury. Sudan Civil Service has been victimized due to the fragility of the political parties and rigidity of the Military Establishment.
The other legacy that the colonial system had left behind when they left the country for good was the bad legacy of Sudan Military System. A system that was established in 1925 under the name of Sudan Defense Force (SDF) in order to protect the borders during the colonial period, ensure internal security through launching crackdown campaigns against internal popular revolts, and externally, to participate in the Military campaigns against the enemies of colonial system. Since that time, the Sudanese Military Establishment or Sudan Armed Forces (SDF/SAF) has kept launching brutal crackdown campaigns on its own people and citizens. Sudanese Military Establishment made more than six successful coup de’tat in which they autocratically ruled the country for sixty plus years. Sudanese citizens haven’t enjoyed any joy during Military Regime periods. They intentionally abandoned their noble mission and plunged themselves into politics, a business that they lack the necessary skills, competence and knowledge to administer or run.
Had we had professional and national armed forces, Sudan wouldn’t have spilt into states. Had we had professional and national armed forces, we would have liberated many lands which are, until now, under the control of foreign countries. Had we had professional and national armed forces, our gold and many other precious minerals wouldn’t have been smuggled outside the country. Had we had professional and national armed forces, our country wouldn’t have been a safe haven and hiding place for the wanted international criminals and extremists. Had we had professional and national armed forces, they wouldn’t have allowed themselves to be mercenaries in other countries to fight on behalf of their armed forces. Had we had professional armed forces, they wouldn’t have overthrown the successive democratic civil governments but rather had protected them. Had we had professional and national forces, the popular revolt of September 2019 wouldn’t have been toppled by them.
The unwelcoming question that is being raised is; where have the Sudanese people gone wrong?
Sudanese people have not gone wrong at any point of time. It was their bad political and Military leadership that have gone wrong since 1954 – 1956 during the hand-over process of what is called the Sudanization Process. Sudanization Process was the rapid replacement of British and Egyptian officials with Sudanese nationals in the public and Military Service. The aim was to transfer administrative control to locals. Over 800-900 posts being filled primarily by Northern Sudanese. Only four junior posts were allocated to the Southerners. The share of the entire Nuba Mountains, Western Sudan, Eastern Sudan, Blue Nile, and the Middle was zero, Big Zero.
Sudanization Process of (1954 – 1956) was the beginning of the marginalization process in Sudan. It laid and established the foundational base for the historical structural injustices which have provoked or stimulated most of the Sudanese Armed Revolutionary Movements to take up the arms and join the bush. Most of, if not all of, the Sudanese Revolutionary Movements mutinied either in the South or Nuba Mountains, or Blue Nile/New Fonj, or Darfur, or the East. No one single revolutionary movement mutinied in the North. I think the point is crystal clear, it doesn’t need an evening class to illustrate. The lethal mistake that has been committed in (1954-1956) by the Northerners, of course not all of them, must be corrected. It must be acknowledged. It must be recognized. They must apologize to the marginalized masses. They have to offer an apology for their deeds. Such an apology will doubtlessly level the ground and pave the way for sustainable and just peace.
I conclude my article by saying that, Civil Service must be restored to its ideal nature and Military Establishment must be restructured and taken back to its rightful track. The Sudan Founding Alliance (TASIS), whether some people agree or disagree with it, is making its contribution through its Constitution and Charter in putting the horse before the cart. Seventy plus years and the Sudanese horse has been kept behind the cart, a situation that has crippled and impaired the giant horse from moving forward. This inverse situation has kept this giant horse from realizing its potential. This giant horse has wittingly been converted into being a trojan horse by the structural forces of exploitation, corruption, and oppression in order to actualize their narrow personal interests and ambitions. Sudanization of the Sudanese mentality should have preceded the Sudanization of the posts of (1954 – 1956).
The Only Way to Restore Glory and Dignity is Through Sustainable and Just Peace
Mahjoub S. G. F.
Kampala, Uganda
