O You Who Are One in All Circumstances

Yousif Abdullah

With only slight exaggeration, perhaps no country has been as exhausted by wars as Sudan. For hundreds of years, the history of this unique nation has been a history of relentless wars, one erupting after another without respite.

Moreover, these wars were never the collective political choice of the Sudanese people, despite their evident cultural diversity and the occasional displays of transitory violence among them. All official wars were waged in complete isolation, reflecting the interests of a particular class that believed war was to its advantage.

In other words, wars in Sudan, including the current one, were never inevitable. They could have been avoided entirely.

For instance, the conflict that erupted in April 2023 was described as "senseless" from its very outset. Yet this precise and fair characterization has proven insufficient to halt the devastating political and humanitarian consequences it continues to wreak, both within Sudan and on neighboring countries and peoples in the region. This includes the looming threat of its expansion, potentially leading to the division of the nation.

The war, which began as senseless, has remained so. Its resolution cannot be achieved through the proclamation of a "government-in-exile" or any other form of government, as some political factions have recently debated.

Such proposals are shallow, lacking in viable solutions, and come at a high cost—at the very least, the transformation of Sudan into a collection of warring states. The region’s analogous experiences offer little allure for replication, whether it is the secession of South Sudan in 2011 or subsequent crises in Libya and elsewhere.

Entertaining such solutions only underscores the increasing likelihood of Sudan descending into a deep abyss, where no party would find its aspirations realized, whether in terms of governance or economic stability.

As has always been the case, now is the time to pursue a political solution to this multifaceted crisis. If there was a revolution that ignited in Sudan during this very month years ago, let its spirit endure and devote its energy to this vital goal: a united Sudan, in all circumstances.