In my previous sequential parts, (4-1), (4-2), and (4-3), of my article titled “The Peace That We Want Versus The Peace That We Need” I tried to pinpoint the structural flaws, deficiencies, and deformations of the Sudanese successive civil governments, political parties, civil society organizations, and military regimes as well as highlighting the structural barriers and hindrances that have crippled and suffocated the efforts of these institutions and entities from actualizing the sustainable peace that Sudanese nations have been in dire need rather than the peace that they want. Our nations have been the victims of the bad governance of these successive civil governments, civil society organizations, and brutal military regimes. The peace that we need is a sustainable peace that has internal in-built factors and elements that sustain and maintain its existence and survival. I said, as well, since we have gained our easy-earned political independence in 1956 our successive civil governments and military regimes have kept dreaming, just dreaming without any genuine efforts, diligence, and actions of a Sudan of the Sudanese, a kind of slogan that has never seen any light so far. I said, trivial political, partisan, and sectarian skirmishes were and are still part and parcel of the root causes that stand behind the miserable failure of these entities and institutions in achieving any success with regard to the peace that we all need. Dream without conscious actions remains just a dream. I, as well, raised that critical issue of the Sudanization process of the year 1954 and its subsequent negative consequences whose impacts are still haunting our nations. I also mentioned the abundant natural resources Almighty God has endowed us nevertheless we have failed to make use of them. I concluded by giving some pieces of advice to ourselves that might contribute in mitigating our suffering and hardship if we are in a true and genuine pursuit of sustainable peace.
I start this article (4-4) by asking a curious question, is it a curse or a blessing, this huge God’s endowment of natural resources of our country? This question simultaneously leads me to the geopolitical and economic dimensions of the ongoing war which broke out on the 15th of April 2023. Those who flared up this nonsensical war, due to their naivety and stupidity, had they ever thought for a fraction of a second that this war would throw the entire country into a baseless abyss? I really doubt, war is a political decision, not a military decision. When war decision is taken by military establishments its catastrophic repercussions become very deadly and damaging. They only see sustainable peace through their gun barrels and under their slogan ‘Glory for the Gun’
It is very easy to start a war, any war. Flaring up a war is not a difficult task. One, just, needs a bullet, just one bullet to get fired and the war starts. War kick-off is just one bullet, it is just that simple, one bullet from one crazy person or idiot leader throws the entire world into a hell. To end a war is not as easy as starting it. Starting a war is within your capacity whereas ending it is outside your capacity. Ending a war becomes geopolitical issue, it necessitates the interventions and interferences of other regional and international forces whose strategic interests in that particular war-ridden country have negatively or positively been affected. That one crazy bullet from that one crazy idiot has regionalized and internationalized the war whose control becomes outside his capacity. What a ridiculous behavior!
Sudan is a big country endowed with all sorts of natural resources. Sudan is envied for these abundant resources. These profoundly abundant resources doubtlessly stimulate and provoke the appetite of the countries which badly suffer from the scarcity of these resources. It is not a secret that we are living in a greedy world which is in a short supply of such resources, that is why giant forces worldwide are greedily craning their necks towards Sudan. They are turning any unturned stones to find just a fraction of a pretext to justify their interferences in the internal affairs of Sudan in order to exploit it. Flaring up a war in such a country by idiot leadership will widely open the gate for regional and international forces to interfere. These giant regional and international forces will try to contribute in making the peace in a way that serves their interests and priorities first and for all. Your priorities and interests come second or last
With regard to Sudan catastrophic dilemma, China, Russia, America, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Emirates, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eretria plus others, are the key players in the geopolitical landscape of Sudan. All of them are deeply involved by one way or another in the ongoing Sudan conflict and affairs. Each one of them has her own interests, priorities or investments in Sudan, hence each one of them is bitterly striving to offer her support in order to gain her share of the cake. The ambitions of these regional and international players and forces are diverse and magnitude, some of them are craning their necks towards the Red Sea as a strategic military location whereas some others are pursuing for petrol, gold and other mineral locations. Food security is another real challenge which is encountering many countries in the world and that their eyes are being focused on the fertile land of Sudan while others are in a bad need of our livestock wealth. Our rivers’ potable water is badly needed by some other countries. Some other countries firmly believe that Sudan represents a strategic depth to its security. Some other countries are looking for a place to a ground to test the efficiency and effectiveness of their deadly war weapons whereas others want to create new markets their military tools and equipment. Sudan is the most suitable place for all these ambitions.
Geographically, Sudan is located in a strategic place in the horn of Africa, that is Red Sea. It is said that 12% of the international trade is passing through Red sea. This geopolitical location gives Sudan an added-value significance. Sudan is, as well, bordering 6 countries, namely; Egypt, Chad, Central Africa, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eretria, and that any unsecured or chaotic situation in Sudan will negatively spell over in the neighboring countries in addition to that Sudan instability will undoubtedly create a conducive environment for drug dealers, weapons proliferation, hiding places for the extremists and international criminals, war economies.
In a nutshell, any one of these above-mentioned countries has her own definition for peace that serves her strategic goals and mission and that any support or assistance that she offers is conditional and must be in congruence with or in harmony with her definition of peace. Sudan is now full to the brim with these greedy countries. Now one can imagine the consequences of this one reckless bullet from this one idiot person who shot the first bullet. Now Sudan peace has become conditional, it must be responsive to the interests of these professional international players. Any speech or talk about peace in isolation of these professional international players is groundless and invalid. Nothing called national peace that is made by Sudanese in isolation of these professional international players. This is a geopolitical game in its essence, don’t approach it if you don’t fully understand its rules. It is their interests that come first. It is not in the interest of these regional and international forces to pull in the same direction of Sudanese leadership. They are not there for the sake of the blackness of the Sudanese eyes.
In short, I conclude by saying if we genuinely seek to make a real breakthrough there must be a real break with the traditional ways of seeing things. There must be a real break with the old ways of thinking. There must be a real break with the level of doing things. It is a necessity that a consensual paradigm shift must be reached in the thinking of the Sudanese military leaders that glory to the gun is not the solution. Sustainable peace that we aspire happens when a structural revolution of our thinking takes place. In a nutshell, idiots should not be allowed to rule again so that such a dilemma shouldn’t be allowed to repeat itself again.
No for this Futile and Brutal War, Yes for Sustainable Peace.
Mahjoub Saleem
Kampala