A Letter of Solidarity and Resilience to Sudan’s Youth

It has been eight months since the Sudanese revolution began. It’s been months full of ups and downs, and positives and negatives. Feelings of excitement, power and hopefulness met with depression, desperation and helplessness. It has been a revolution that the youth led and for its sake, sacrifices were made. 

The young Sudanese men and women from both Sudan and the diaspora gave their best to make this revolution a truthful and peaceful one. We challenged ourselves, our parents and the entire older generations who questioned our ability to bring change. When no one believed in us, we believed in ourselves and that was our driving force. 

We are the generation who was born and raised under the nearly 30-year reign of former Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir. We did not know of or dare to imagine a president but him. 

We are the generation who witnessed the last chapter of the Sudanese civil war, Africa’s longest-running civil war (Second Sudanese Civil War, 1983 – 2005), which led to the independence of South Sudan on 9 July 2011. We witnessed that too. We are the generation who was taught much about the Islamic and Arab world and far less about our African continent. 

We are the generation taught to recite the jihad songs every morning just after the national anthem as a school duty. We used to fundraise for the mujahedeen in Southern Sudan-then. We lived in this atmosphere until we believed it. 

We are the generation of the students and graduates of the so-called higher education revolution. We experience and continue to experience a very poor educational system. 

We are the generation who experienced lack of freedom of expression and political literacy. We faced and continue to face challenges of unemployment, depression and illegal migration.

Before the revolution, only a handful number of us were political activists. Nearly all of the Sudanese youth have little to no political literacy, believing political change or revolution was impossible. Now, there is a growing interest in political and revolutionary action. Many young men and women are taking and playing active roles in reading, critical thinking and debating in the political sphere.

Moreover, many young men and women were active in charitable and voluntary work. It has always been part of the Sudanese culture and every household – freely and willingly offering help. But, as a friend said, “We are the generation of initiative.” Although it’s a generation that lacks skills in fundraising, strategic planning, volunteer management, and empowerment. Nevertheless, they knew that they have to do something, driven by the feeling of responsibility towards underprivileged people in Sudan. For many, doing voluntary work was the only opportunity to give-back as well as for personal and professional development and growth.

When the revolution first began in December 2018, many were left confused. We were not confident enough. However, day after day, we started to believe in ourselves and the revolution. Day by day, we prepared ourselves. Every one of us has something to offer. Some of us worked in organising peaceful demonstration while some participated in them. Others worked on spreading the word about the protests. Some started writing and raising awareness by highlighting other revolutions in the world and what will happen to ours. Doctors succeeded in accomplishing the longest disobedience ever in Sudanese history. They were very much involved in the emergency clinics acted side by side with the peaceful protest. Everyone played his or her role whether a doctor, artist, musician, writer, lawyer, teacher or any other profession. 

We are the generation who used to be stigmatised and labelled as failures. Nonetheless, we are making the change. 

Sudanese youth in the diaspora played a huge role in shedding light and getting the entire world to know about the Sudanese revolution and its peaceful protests. They played a huge role in sustaining the months long mass sit-in in Al Qeyada in front of the headquarters of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). They supported the sit in financially and through spreading the word.  

A huge learning and revolutionary change happened within us as a generation, as well. We found ourselves unknowingly taking political and revolutionary action. We had to teach ourselves and learn from one another. One of the most significant events In the course of the revolution was 6 April 2019; the day the Sudanese people revived the memory of one of the great uprisings in Sudanese recent history where around a million took to the streets to demand the overthrow of Al Bashir and his regime. On that day, Al Qeyada became a miniature version of the new Sudan. What people have experienced and learned there was more than any other time in their lifetime. Young men and women worked hard to sustain Al Qeyada through organizing people, raising awareness, debating and discussing the updates of political events. In addition, they worked to maintain food, water supply and shelter.

Debates, discussions and exhibitions were constantly taking place, both offline and online. There was energy and urging desire to see change and progress. Despite many faults and challenges, Al Qeyada was a huge learning and life-changing experience for everyone who took part in it or witnessed it. 

The role of women in the revolution was significant and their contribution is undeniable. Sudanese women have always participated in Sudan’s long history of revolutions. They were always in the frontline. Women played a huge role not only by cheering and motivating their fellow countermen but also by actively participating in revolutions. In Sudan’s current and third revolution, women were recognised for using the power of social media to identify national intelligence members who beat and arrested protesters.

Nevertheless, we have to acknowledge the multitude of challenges that young women face in Sudan today from the lack of women’s rights to facing ongoing sexual violence. Now is the time to build a new women liberation movement with respect to our demographic and religious contexts. 

Despite the pain and trauma this generation has experienced the last three decades, they are still vigorous, resilient, hopeful and optimistic about their future and the suture of Sudan. We need to empower and support one another physically, emotionally, financially and perhaps the most important aspect, with knowledge.

As the constitutional declaration has been officially signed on 17 August 2019, we must be aware that the next phase will be even harder. We need to continue to be resilient, hopeful, open and honest. We need to work hard to guard our revolution. We need to create new and improved associations and unions in order to protect our rights and liberty. In addition, these associations and unions must encourage good governance, leadership, transparency and justice. Effective and powerful associations and unions will ensure that no one is lagging behind especially vulnerable groups such as students and marginalised labourers such as food and tea sellers. 

We need to be aware of our human, civil, legal rights and especially our political rights. Political change is the very first step toward a peaceful, cohesive, diverse and collaborative society in which social justice, freedom, peace and command of law is a reality. The youth have to take the lead to fulfill their ambitions of achieving freedom, peace and justice for all of the people of Sudan. We need to know and understand our history, and the impact of the legacies past regimes have left. We should understand the lessons learned and move forward.

The revolution is just the beginning and more hard work is yet to come to protect and honour it.

We are the hope. We should own our future, write our own narrative, and not allow anyone to do it on our behalf.

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Azza Abdelmagid is a 21-year-old Sudanese medical student (and finalist) at University of Alzaiem Alazhari and a freelance translator. She is an active member of Medical Students’ International Network-Sudan (MedSIN-Sudan), a student organisation, uniting Sudanese medical students and giving them a voice. She is interested in Sudanese culture, traditional heritage, and public health specifically women’s health. She believes in youth and women empowerment, and enjoys volunteering, travelling and writing. She is inspired by Helen Keller’s quote: ‘Life is either a daring adventure or nothing’.