Anniversary Of December Revolution: Hope Paves The Way For Realizing Aspirations
15 December, 2019
KHARTOUM (Sudanow) -Youth is hope. Revolution is revolt against an ossified present and a dimmed future, against strangling of hope. Revolution, in its simplest definition, is a yearning for a hopeful present and a better future. The dictums couldn’t be truer in the case of the Sudanese December Revolution.
But a revolution comes with a price. Sudanese youth paid the highest and most painful price: Hundreds were killed and injured, traumatized, but they gave hope and dignified future life to millions of their peers and elders as well.
From the day the uprising bell rang, December 2018, to the day victory trumpet resonated in April 2019, the march was long and the toll was high.
The dead were youth. The loss couldn’t be more painful when a bullet attempts to kill a hope. Youth and hope, are not only the present, they are the future as well.
In the case of the Sudanese revolution, now seeing its first anniversary December 2019, approaching, the banner of hope was held high. While mourning the dead and burying the charnel, treating the moral and psychological wounds of the survivors, hope has been helping people overcome the pain of loss.
The argument is that time should be given a chance, to heal the wounds, to allow due process of law takes it course. This does not work here. It works with grown up, elderly and people of a déjà-vu. If youth were to give the tortoise slow movement of time work, they wouldn’t have revolted in the first place. This was in the normal situation with normal people. The Sudanese youth have proven to be of totally different breed.
While asking who massacred their brothers and sisters that carried no guns, nor had they thrown a stone against the army, police and security, but peacefully demonstrated and camped in peaceful manner, still on the 3rd of June 2019, they were showered with bullets and hacked to death. Who were the killers, who were the rappers, who was the shadowy figure that a probe committee could not name or place or identify?
What surprises many is not the revolution, but the continuation of the peacefulness of the demand, demands for the blood shed, for the young maimed, for the loss of the beloved ones.
Committees have been formed to probe the men behind the dead, to hold accountable the assailants and to caress the back of the chagrined moms and dads.
Many youth who spoke on social media, were of the view that holding some people accountable, will not return the dead, nor will it repay the blood for those killed in cold blood, but it would make sure future acts of similar nature will not be repeated.
Blood for Blood is meant to put an end to irresponsible, inhumane and excessive use of force.
And it was yet more painful, because the attack comes to erase such a wonderful scene that occurs rarely in recent history: a revolution with love, with dignity, with charming mottos that says life was still going to be beautiful.
The scenes surrounding the Sudanese army military command was befitting the 18th century French revolution that raised the slogan of “liberty, equality, fraternity”, after the revolutionaries took over the Bastille.
Students, young men and women barricading the streets and a whole thriving life taking place in the area surrounding the area: food, songs, social life and even love stories that ended up with marriage were in the making.
The scenes might appear chaotic at first glance but after getting inside the camping area, it is a totally different: It depicts order and discipline. For once, and on the way to the camping area there are check points and body search procedures. At check points which the youth set, somebody will approach the incoming persons with a smile, asking them to allow him for body search, a man will search a man and a young ladies search ladies.
A placard held high over the checkpoints reads: smile please; it is for the security of our gathering. And with a smile they tell the visitor the checking points are meant to protect the revolutionaries against any infiltration, armed infiltrations in fact.
Once one gets in the area which extends for about two km by nine to ten kms, a scene of throbbing bee hive: a group of young ladies carried empty bags to collect rubbish: plastic and empty water bottle, another group collect, papers and another metallic and a third food leftovers.
The empty plastic bags are heaped in two distinct points. Vagabonds and rubbish dealers from shanty towns come to collect those empty plastic bottles a source of income. It is not one or two thousands bottle, but thousands of empty bottles. Companies, benevolent persons buy water and sent them to the area for free: those revolutionaries and youth gathering there get the water for free. Other companies also provided sandwiches for free, other soft drinks for free, a third group have even bought two huge TV screens for the campaign guys to watch Europe league, and championship league. A fourth company and the list goes on and on. Families brought their kids and foods to the camping area. Food was shared, children educated and entertained. Buses came from all regions afar to share the experience and to support and lead. For the first time in decades Sudanese have transcended their ethnic division and tribal affiliations.
Was this a platonic gathering recreated by the youth, are they too idealistic, the grownups would wonder. It was majestic, it was scene that gives you hope anything is doable, that if you continue to calculate one plus one equal two, you will not stage a revolution, or a change. But alas... will it last? As the mother of an emperor put it centuries ago?
“Pourvu que cela dure” -if it lasts- as reportedly put by the mother of the French emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, when told that her young son, Napoleon was doing wonderful things young as he was.
That was the scene in April and through May.
In June it took a nasty turn, on June third, in the month of Ramadan, the holiest of months for the Muslim, when the young protesters laid down their utensil, their placards, their tambourine, their Koran, and consumed their late meal before the long day of the last days of Ramadan broke, the silence of the small hours of the day was shuttered.
Sleeping youngsters were startled by shower of bullets and waves of flames sweeping, merciless boots trespassing their faces and brutally crushing them, taking them by surprise while still dizzy with sleep and long hours of fasting.
Up to now committees have yet to ascertain who was who and who did what? Will that day come? This is another window of hope, youth have time before them and they will use that to their advantage.
With the success of the revolution and with the formation of the civilian led government, have the revolutionaries to lay down their peaceful weapons and return to the daily chorus and the “endless imitations” how could people balance between the revolution and keeping its flames burning but at the same time secure food and medication for their families, the revolution will not guarantee any of them free.
Thus comes the more mundane question of food, drink and transport, of foreign debts of the American list of terror? Will those woes go away with time, or will they need further sacrifices, with 40% of the youth unemployed as put by the Minister of Finance and Economic planning Badawi?
Again the question will come again and again, will the youth hold to the peacefulness of the revolution, will they continue notwithstanding the provocative action and the teasing they could see repeatedly, daily in the official establishments? The same victimizing practices and practitioners? The same long ques for bread, the same long hours for public transports the same long waiting for a job, and the same ever rising prices? Or will there be a breaking point that some victimizers are waiting for to leap on the back of the suffering?
And the mortified youth in the verge of asking the mortifying questions of should we make the compromise? Should we reconcile with the security and military some of whom are accused of the pain endured? Is it true that hundreds were killed and wounded, dozens are missing, and the defunct regime still holds influential and powerful key positions? These are questions asked while the anniversary flames are lit, but what type of celebrations will the youth indulge in?
Again the question is asked ahead of the advent of the anniversary.
Ushering in a new government, dethroning a regime without hope, the image would have been bleak. A year has elapsed since Sudanese youth sacrificed their colleagues as a price for the success of their revolution. The toll was big. And the hopes were high against yet higher challenges.
Again following the calamity, youth struck another flash of hope when the political declaration was signed in August 2019 between the Transitional Military Council and the Forces of the Declaration for Freedom and Change, the umbrella that brought together the trade unions, the Professional Association, the opposition leaders and the student. It was the push of a youthful movement that refused to dodge despite harsh military action since April 2019.
As pinpointed by an article Cameron Hudson, senior fellow of the Atlantic Council: “But perhaps the most baffling element, both in its shear ambition and its untethering to reality, is the list of “Functions for the Transition Period,” comprising a laundry list of every ailment from which Sudan suffers.”
These are the ten priorities set for realization during the three year and half of the interim period as detailed in the “General Framework for the Programme of the Transitional Government”:
- First priority: Putting an end to war and building fair, comprehensive and sustainable peace.
- Second priority: Addressing the economic crisis and establishing the bases of sustainable development.
- Third priority: Combating corruption and commitment to transparency and accountability.
- Fourth priority: Promoting public and private freedoms and safeguarding human rights.
- Fifth priority: Ensuring the promotion of the rights of women in all areas and their equitable representation in the structures of governance.
- Sixth priority: Restructuring and reforming the organs of the State.
- Seventh priority: Establishing a balanced foreign policy that ensures the interests of Sudan.
- Eighth priority: Supporting social welfare and development and preserving the environment.
- Ninth priority: Enhancing the role of youth of both sexes and expanding their opportunities in all areas.
- Tenth priority: Organizing the process of constitution-making and preparation for free and fair elections.
They simply mean
- Achieving peace within six months
- Giving youth and women a prominent role in running the country
- Restoring independence and dignity to Justice and streamlining Sudanese laws to international conventions and resolutions
- Reforming the military and integrate elements of the former rebel movement within the security apparatus in the country
- Reforming the economy and create jobs, by ending the economic embargo and delisting the Sudan.
- Bringing back Sudan to the international community
Huge as it may seem, if one looks at the filled half of the glass, then you could see tremendous jobs carried out.
For once and with the help of Arab friends and western partners the country is able to provide stable electricity, fuel and bread. The economic hardship continues, but hope is still running high.
The daunting job of delisting the Sudan has already started. Critics may say that prime minister Hamdouk by accepting to pay indemnities for victims of terror attack, he has plunged the country into trouble. Far from it, the process was carried out by the ousted regime. But again what was the loss that Sudan sustained for refusing to look and consider this option, almost 200 billion dollars in the estimates of some analysts, including the damage incurred on the transportation system, rail roads, aviation, medical, exports, imports and denial to access investment, and lending institutions. Hamdouk told the Atlantic Council audience, “Sudan will never be the same again.” Less than a month from his return to Khartoum the Friends of Sudan convened a meeting in Khartoum in which they said “Participants also noted that it is already possible to begin preparing the ground for debt relief.”
You could not do that without the green light from the Americans, and particularly in application of harsh punishment on any government or institution that deals with Sudan financially or economically, in violation of the American conditions. That alone tells you a glimpse of hope is shimmered further more by the Hamdouk visit to Washington on his way to break the yoke of the terror listing. It starts with raising the level of diplomatic representation to ambassadorial level.
For the prime minister “Restoring the relationship between the US and Sudan could not have come in a more opportune time. This signals the beginning of a new relationship and is a lifeline that will provide a huge opportunity in cooperation between our nations.”
On the peace process as the people celebrated the anniversary, peace talks was taking place in Juba, South Sudan, not between rivals but among Sudanese as argued by the prime minister. Stories of fighting and killing are now as rare as bird’s milk. Humanitarian assistance is now possible and access, unfretted, was allowed to the humanitarian actors, thus meeting one major condition by western pressure group. Coupled with the guarantee of religious, assembly, expression and human rights freedoms, the window of hope for a better Sudan was wide open.
Again the question comes, does this worth the price paid?
When you see who was being brought to court of law, and who is being questioned and interrogated and in a few months when the commission set to probe the killing comes out with its finding and justice is served, the next celebration will no doubt be joyfully crimson. For sure this year’s celebration will be acrimonious, marred by tears and fears of setback but interwoven with hope for a better future and a free present.
Hope paves the way for realizing aspirations.
Quotes:
- David Malpass, president of the World Bank
“Encouraged by my discussion of Sudan’s promising economic reform plans with Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdouk and am glad to share with him. International Finance Corporation's commitment to assist future private sector development.”
- Abdalla Hamdouk, prime minister
“The first Friends of Sudan meeting to be held on a Sudanese soil coincides with the first anniversary of Sudan Uprising.”
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MO/AS
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