- Maswali
- Posts
- MASWALI | Issue 1
MASWALI | Issue 1
“Apply for new passports”?
Uri Ludger & Joshua Musana
June 25, 2023 • Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes
Malcolm👨🏾⚖️;
Honestly, there’s a lot going on in the region right now. Uganda is recovering from its largest loss of troops in its peacekeeping mission in Somalia, and Kenya just hosted Sergey Lavrov(Russia’s top Diplomat) in Nairobi; an interesting turn of events given how strongly opposed Kenya have been to the Russia - Ukraine war. But we figured to start with, we’d focus on the civil war that has broken out in Sudan. It’s a big deal, with big consequences.
Uri🕵🏾♂️;
That’s true, Malcolm. It’s really sad to see just how much the people of Sudan have had to deal with. We all paid attention in awe when they sat in front of the presidential compound for months, in protest of Mohammed Bashir’s 30 year rule. And it actually worked! I remember reading tweets from Ugandans saying “We’re doing this next”. The future did seem bright, but with the military taking over, and promising a handover to a civilian government in a year’s time, I was like “That’s probably cap.” I’m not happy that my doubts were proven right though. Anyway, could you bring me up to speed on the details of today’s civil conflict? Who’s fighting who, and why?
Malcolm👨🏾⚖️;
Cool, so basically, the fighting is between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo AKA Hemedti, Vs. the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. They both want control of Sudan’s leadership. Like you said, following the revolution in 2019, there was a joint civilian-military unity government which was meant to transition to civilian democratic rule, but that didn;t really work out. The two strongest military factions want it all to themselves. This is a bare-bones summary though, but you can find a more complete explanation here. In the middle of all this power struggle though, the innocent people of Sudan are the one’s on the firing line. You know that old saying, “The when the elephants fight, the grass suffers”
Uri🕵🏾♂️;
All too well, I’m afraid(emoji)🤦🏾♂️
Malcolm👨🏾⚖️;
As the conflict continues to unfold, there’s a story I’d like to focus on just a bit. So, Sudan is a very geopolitically strategic country, for reasons we can discuss later. As such, there is a strong presence of foreign missions such as the US, UK, France, Netherlands, among others. When the fighting broke out, many people were keen on fleeing the country, foreigners and citizens alike. The US actually managed to broker a ceasefire solely for the purpose of flying their citizens out of the country. Other foreign missions did the same. And here is where the controversy lies. Of course, as conflict broke out, Sudanese citizens flocked to these embassies to process visas to leave Sudan and take refuge with family and friends abroad. In a very irresponsibly and yet not entirely surprising fashion, first with Dutch but also subsequently with the French and Americans, they closed down their embassies, destroyed documents, INCLUDING the passports of the Sudanese that they had in their possession, and just up and left.
Uri🕵🏾♂️;
Are you serious? They destroyed people’s passports? I don’t know what the internal affairs process is like in Sudan, but the process of acquiring a passport is so tedious. Am I in the middle of a civil conflict? That’s almost impossible! How are they supposed to leave the country now?
Malcolm👨🏾⚖️;
It’s as strange as it sounds, and yet very true. Actually when Sudanese took to twitter to voice their frustration to the Dutch embassy, they tweeted back saying;
Uri🕵🏾♂️;
“Apply for new passports”? How out of touch can you be!
Malcolm👨🏾⚖️;
You can’t make this stuff up. It is a very clear reminder of the fact that members of the international community tend to act purely in their own self interest. And what surprises me about the shortsightedness of their actions. I would argue that allowing Sudan to fall into a state of insecurity, and getting in the way of proper immigration channels by separating people from their passports, just increases the number of what the West terms as “illegal immigrants” who come knocking on their doors. I mean, the West has made it very clear that they are very much opposed to an influx of immigrants from African countries seeking refuge in their countries. Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign literally rode on, among others, a promise to build a wall on the US’s Mexican border to block immigrants from streaming in. And he made it into office. Josep Borell, the former President of the European Parliament, made famous remarks about how Europe is a “walled garden” that must be protected at all costs, in reference to the influx of immigrants to Europe. But at the same time, destroying people’s travel papers will not stop them from trying to access their families in Europe and North America. When faced with possibly dying in braving perilous waters on a boat trying to flee Sudan or staying in Sudan to face sure death by the barrel of the gun, many would choose the former.
Uri🕵🏾♂️;
Interesting! I hadn't actually thought about it like that. You are totally right though, people will seek shelter and safety by all means, wherever that may be. I think it's a good idea to give credit where it is due though. However brief, the ceasefire that the US negotiated allowed for some humanitarian aid to be channeled into the country, and that is useful to the people on the ground.
Malcolm👨🏾⚖️;
Yes that is true, although I might also argue that its a little too late for that. With such a massive presence of the international community in Sudan, it would have served them better to actively ensure that a fall out between the RSF and the SAF did not happen in the first place rather than trying to scrap together failing ceasefire deals.
Uri🕵🏾♂️;
Speaking of ceasefire deals, there are a number of external players that are trying to negotiate for peace in Sudan. I was curious to understand who these were, and it looks like they can largely be divided into IGAD - the Intergovernmental Authority for Development, and what is known as “the Quad” Saudi Arabia and the UAE as well as the US and the UK. IGAD comprises 8 countries in the region, including South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia as its most influential members. The body has a historical reputation for being a peace mediator in the region, and significant interests of its members are at stake if the war continues to rage on in Sudan. For example, South Sudan runs an oil pipeline through Sudan to the Red Sea for export and has experienced flow disruptions, while Kenya is keen on keeping its citizens in Sudan safe while also elevating its global status as a champion of peacekeeping and stability in the region.
The Saudis and the UAE have seen Sudan’s transition as an opportunity to push back against Islamist influence in the region. They have sponsored mediation in Sudan along with the UN and the African Union. Western powers fear the potential for a Russian base on the Red Sea, to which Sudanese military leaders have expressed openness.
Malcolm👨🏾⚖️;
In conclusion, As plainly terrible the current situation in Sudan is, it is also very clear that ignoring it only invites problems knocking on not only the region’s door tomorrow but the West’s as well. To quote George RR Martin (author of The Song of Ice & Fire books which were adapted into the famous television show The Game of Thrones) ‘The way the world is made. The truth is all around you, plain to behold. The night is dark and full of terrors, the day bright and beautiful and full of hope’.
Like our work? Consider Subscribing!