It is time for the civil political voice to rise in Khartoum
Waleed Elnoor
The preparatory meetings for the Civil Front to Stop the War and Restore the Democratic Civil Transition in Sudan were launched in Addis Ababa last Sunday. This is a newly formed civil front consisting of a wide spectrum of Sudanese unions and organizations with the aim of halting the war in the country and mitigating its effects.
Despite the delayed start of these meetings since the outbreak of the senseless war in April last year, they compensate for the absence of the political and civil voices during the intense battles and the roar of cannons that continued for six months.
Contrary to the expectations of political forces, the prolongation of the war exacerbated the crisis and made the task extremely difficult. Civil political forces initially believed it would be over in a matter of days, then turned into a few months, but it seems that the chasm has widened, and it is now time for the political and civil voice to emerge publicly.
They should pay attention to the humanitarian aspect, especially since citizens who are still living within the cities of Khartoum are suffering under bombardment and the sound of cannons. They cannot obtain their daily necessities, which have completely disappeared from some markets.
Some citizens are forced to stay due to the refusal of most elderly people to leave their homes in areas where water and electricity have been cut off. The health situation has deteriorated, with many hospitals ceasing operation due to the increased number of patients and injuries resulting from indiscriminate shelling in some areas.
Voluntary organizations have been absent, except for emergency committees working with medical staff in hospitals, which have also not been spared from security harassment and persecution by both sides of the conflict.
International organizations have been completely absent in assisting the Sudanese people. Despite the arrival of thousands of tons of medicines and humanitarian aid from Arab and Islamic countries, they remained stranded at the Port Sudan, facing accusations of smuggling by some parties preventing them from entering the market. Civil society organizations that used to contribute to the delivery of humanitarian aid have also been absent.
In the first agreement between the army and the Rapid Support Forces in Jeddah, it was stipulated that humanitarian aid must be allowed to reach those affected. Therefore, political forces and civil society organizations must exert pressure on both parties to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid.
The political role and the voices of politicians should rise above the current battle noise and call on everyone to look at the citizens who have been displaced from their homes and have become internally displaced persons and refugees.
Political and civil forces should fulfill their duties and not yield to tribal or regional divisions and affiliations.
