Celebrating Sudan Independence? From What and from Whom? by Osama Mahmoud

Celebrating Sudan Independence? From What and from Whom?
By Osama Mahmoud
Fireworks and New Year’s Eve parties, and in some cases eating seven vine grapes, are different ways of receiving the new year. All roads lead to Roma, and Roma here represents happiness, prosperity and good luck. In the case of Sudan, it is just a fantasy. The count down for the final few minutes of 2013 has begun in few areas around the globe, while the majority has already celebrated the dawn of 2014. For Sudan, it supposed to be a combination of two celebrations. One is shared with the seven billion persons reside in our planet. The other is rather an exclusive one.
Sudan was granted its independence from the colonial power, the British empire, on the final days of year 1955. The official celebration was pushed forward to the first of January 1956, and hence plenty has happened. Sudan governance was inherited by groups of elites who failed miserably ever since to manage its diversity and wealth.
The resources were controlled by their cliques, whom through absolute power managed to keep top posts, education opportunities and training in a closed loop. At best it could be described as a one sided monopoly game. That history lead to the succession of an integral part of the country ca. two and a half years ago.
Leaping forward, As these words are fighting their way out into the screen, millions of Sudanese are living in desperate situation in refugees and IDP camps, praying in all their different languages, to their god(s) to have mercy upon them. Asking for moments of security for their loved one as well as for justice. Asking for moments of clarity to mourn their lost ones.
The world keeps tuning in daily to episodes of atrocities in forms of bombardments concentrated in three main areas, Darfur, Nuba mountains and Blue Nile State; plus atrocious crimes ranked from genocide mass rapes and so on. The world reaction does not exceed the level of taking the remote control and changing the channel. Those victims have become numerical figures, the lucky ones are recorded in dusty books, others are not listed due to drying up of recording pens.
Also not to forget the masses of young men and women who cried out loud “we had enough of killing, injustice, insecurity, harassment, corruption and unemployment”, only to face their death sentence on the hands of the current regime.
At this critical times, thousands of Sudanese diaspora are scattered around the globe. The ones whom falsely referred to as the lucky ones. In the words of Gene McDaniels, Compare to What! Being away from your country and not able to return back to see your people and where were you born and bred because of political differences is not right in any shape or form.
Let’s take the chance of our huge numbers in the diaspora to work toward providing a better life for our people by exploiting our human resources to build bases of qualified persons in all fields, most importantly in advocacy and human rights. To spread the words and essence of equality and liberties.
To promote education by all means in our communities in and outside Sudan. To break the cycle of often waiting for organisation (good ones) to take the first step toward us. To try to walk in each other’s shoes and realise that accumulation of problems in the rural parts of Sudan will eventually lead to catastrophic disasters affecting all, including in the centre. Gaining our freedom will begin by removing the current regime by all means, however it will come with a hefty price tag, though not higher than what Sudan has already paid.
Until then, is it time to celebrate Sudan independence? Very difficult to say yes under the current circumstances. It is neither a pessimistic view nor it’s looking at the empty half of the cup. The current grim situation does not help. One can only hope for a long waited justice, which is not going to be a poetic one.