Sudan: What We Need and the Paths to Civil Life
Khaled Massa
Perhaps it is worth mentioning that the political system that held onto power in Sudan for three decades has finally collapsed. Its foundations were built upon dismantling civil structures in Sudan, starting with decisions to dissolve political parties and shut down their activities, banning any political activity, seizing and closing newspapers, restricting freedom of expression and opinion. These actions have resulted in the lowest levels of freedom in Sudans civil life since its inception as a nation and since Sudanese citizens discovered the path to building their values and civil institutions.
This project was not the first setback for those who believe in civil and democratic values in Sudan. They have faced trials and setbacks that delayed the completion and development of this structure to create natural immunity within civil and democratic components to combat any deviation from the values believed in by Sudanese, for which they paid with their lives and the blood of their martyrs.
The war that has been ongoing since mid-April, with no end to its gunfire in sight, is merely a new mutation of the aforementioned project. Its aim is to resist the antibodies that the spirit of the revolution for change has started producing through a generation that was born and raised in an environment unfamiliar with civil and democratic values.
In general, war is the nemesis of civil life and democracy. It provides the perfect environment for anything that disrupts democratic values in Sudan. We can now see it has opened the door to contaminating public discourse with hatred, racism, regionalism, and tribalism.
The current public discourse due to the war is causing severe damage, and its aftermath is preventing the country from transitioning to a civil and democratic transformation.
The war is now a complete criminal conspiracy aimed at demonizing everything that is civil and eradicating the ground where the seeds of civil and democratic values might sprout. Civil components, whether political parties or organizations, are no longer required to be anything other than an alignment that ignites the flames of war and releases its reins instead of surrounding its causes with civil and democratic consciousness.
Regardless of the cost of the war and the wounds it has inflicted, believers in civil and democratic values must persist in not retreating from the values they have paid for. They must ensure that this war is the driving force to declare that the only way for the Sudanese nation is through the safe paths of civil and democratic choices, embracing pluralism, diversity, and a comprehensive civil and democratic discourse that is free from racism and hatred.
Filling the public space with a discourse of war must be countered with a discourse of awareness and enlightenment. Civil forces should convey their democratic values and spread them as far as possible to prevent this spirit that has prolonged the war and subjected the Sudanese people to violations from taking hold.
Our true victory in this war lies in standing firm on the frontlines of the flames of civil values and promoting them every time they ignite the fire of war and stoke its embers.
