The Khartoum I Didnt Write, But War Did
By Youssef Hamad
Last February, I had committed to writing a journalistic story for a foreign TV channel that would trace the emergence of the capital city, Khartoum. The story aimed to document the changes it underwent and how it contributed to shaping the unique identity of its cities: Omdurman, Bahri, and Khartoum.
This was before the two generals (the frenemies) began their absurd war in mid-April. A war absurdly described by the army commander himself, with the capital city of Khartoum as its stage. Khartoum, a city built nearly 200 years ago at the confluence of the Blue Nile and White Nile, was constructed from the ruins of the Christian kingdoms capital, Soba.
In those days of February and before, Khartoum was not a beautiful city. Public services had severely collapsed, and it was not as safe as a city and capital should be.
The citys heroes were members of gangs specifically created to disrupt the peaceful revolutions marches. These marches took upon themselves the task of overthrowing the military coup, disbanding the Rapid Support Forces, and reclaiming the faltering murdered democracy orchestrated by the generals: Abdel Fattah El-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, with the blessing of armed struggle movements.
The foreign TV channel aimed to capture the story of Khartoum for a documentary film to be presented on their screen, possibly riding the wave of the recent surge in documentary films that flooded TV channels in recent years. The citys fame might have played a part, as it had witnessed three peaceful revolutions in its history, the latest of which erupted in December 2018.
Indeed, I gathered the necessary documents, books, and manuscripts that would assist me in this thrilling yet perilous mission. I began writing the story, carefully selecting suitable interviewees from each city. I cautiously chose filming locations on the streets, both the ancient and the modern neighborhoods.
In those days, the police had become negligent in maintaining security, repeatedly displaying unprofessional behavior that eroded trust in their reliability. The coup also restored the security apparatuss old powers inherited from the Muslim Brotherhood regime, including the authority to arrest and interrogate.
The police and security forces quickly collaborated to suppress the peaceful marches, appearing united and dedicated in their actions. As a result, the United States imposed sanctions on the Central Reserve Police for their excessive repression of the protesters and grave human rights violations.
By April, the death toll had reached more than 150 and over 500 injured, as documented by Volker Perthes, the head of the United Nations Mission in Sudan, in his official report presented to the UN Security Council.
The city was engulfed in a climate of security and military intimidation, with the police, army, and Rapid Support Forces all present. In addition to these forces, armed movements, which showed authoritarian tendencies, occupied pockets within the capital after signing a peace agreement with the government in October 2020. These armed groups threatened to initiate the next conflict from Khartoum itself, rather than from Darfur and other regions where their previous uprisings had begun.
Before these recurring threats, the armed movements had already frustrated the revolutionaries and civilian political forces by aligning themselves with the October 25 coup, despite substantial evidence indicating that the coup served the historical rival of these armed movements: the National Islamic Front and elements of the Salvation Government.
Amid this atmosphere of security chaos and intimidation, we prepared to commence the film production, awaiting the signal to proceed, while being cautious to avoid the guests coming into contact with the repressive authority that was reluctant to allow filming in public places.
Among the selected filming locations were experts in museums and official archives that held the memories of this colossal city. The main guests were citizens who were born and lived their lives in this war-ravaged place.
A limited-time documentary film could not fully recount Khartoums history. Nonetheless, serious documentation should at least serve as a reminder that Khartoum has been built in various historical eras, all influenced by war, conflict, and fear.
Since its founding in the 18th century, its founder, Khourshid Pasha, deliberately built Khartoum near the rivers course and the confluence of the Nile to facilitate a quick escape whenever necessary. This trend continued with his successors, who ensured suitable boats were available for that purpose. The city was fortified with a long, winding wall guarded by soldiers, which is now an extension of the current Army Street, separating the residences of state leaders and the general population.
When the Mahdist revolution erupted, the boats and fortifications proved insufficient to protect the city. It succumbed to violence, and General Gordon Pasha was among those killed by the Mahdists swords. Through a religious decree, the Mahdist Caliph Abdullahi al-Taaishi declared Khartoum a tainted city and prohibited residing in it, establishing instead a pure city in Omdurman.
Apart from Omdurmans purity, it, too, was built with the possibility of escaping westward in case the British retaliated for Gordons death. Ultimately, their expectations materialized with the Battle of Kerreri, and the Mahdist forces retreated to the southwestern part of the country, where they died in Omdabikrat.
In any case, residential neighborhoods were distributed hierarchically in proximity to or distance from the state and its policies. The proposed film aimed to uncover these hidden spots and the social relationships formed based on them.
Khartoum has a long history with violence and wars, having experienced several massacres that resulted in thousands of casualties. After gaining independence in 1956, it lived in peace and was considered one of the most tranquil Arab and African capitals. However, by the end of 1964, it witnessed bloodshed following the false news of the death of its then-Minister of Interior, Clement Mbobo.
Six years later, in March 1970, it faced a massacre that epitomized state violence, led by General Jaafar Nimeiri, known as the Wad Nubawi events. During this incident, Nimeiris regime bombed the Ansar Mosque, whose supporters opposed him, resulting in hundreds of casualties. This situation might bear similarities to the ongoing bombings now.
After the Muslim Brotherhood regime came to power in 1989, Khartoum revisited its memories of violence. Alongside the violence of arrests, torture, and forced disappearances, it witnessed the execution of 28 officers by Omar al-Bashir. Additionally, in May 2008, the Justice and Equality Movement carried out a major invasion that left the city insecure for several weeks.
In September 2013, it witnessed a massive uprising against Omar al-Bashirs regime, which was met with violent suppression, resulting in about 210 peaceful protesters being killed.
The uprising culminated in the fall of the Bashir regime on April 11, 2019, but with a death toll exceeding 100.
After the military council led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan took power from the Bashir regime, the military machine claimed between 150 to 500 lives during the dispersal of the sit-in around the army headquarters on June 3, 2019.
Following the coup by the army commander and the Rapid Support Forces leader on October 25, 2021, around 150 people were killed during the anti-coup protests, and finally, the largest outbreak of violence occurred on April 15.
My guests for the film witnessed all of this and the citys history, and I can only imagine the pain endured by the survivors among these selected guests who were to star in the film. Communication with them has been severed, and I no longer know where they are, or in which world. Similarly, I do not know the extent of the destruction that has befallen the city I have not left for thirty years, except because of this absurd war that, ironically, ended up scripting the film in its own way!
