Sudanese Community Rallies Outside State Capitol.  

                 The Struggle for Justice in their Homeland Continues.

                                                    by Annette Walker

      Several hundred local Sudanese rallied on Sunday, June 30 at the Colorado State Capitol Building.

      The event was organized by the Colorado chapter of the Sudanese-American Public Affairs Association (SAPAA), a national organization currently headquartered in Denver.

      Although SAPAA's general mission is to promote and strengthen the well-being of Sudanese-American communities, the June 30 event was motivated by the political situation in the Sudan.

     "We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Sudan," said Wafa Saeed, SAPAA's Executive Director.   "June 30 is the anniversary of the beginning of the 30-year dictatorship, and we wanted to represent our opposition to that", she continued.

     Sudanese-Americans in other parts of the United States and internationally organized similar rallies.

     For the past few decades the Sudan has received global attention for the massive displacement and death of hundreds of thousands of its citizens due to political reasons. 

     "Since its independence from Britain in 1956, Sudan has been bedeviled by a succession of civil wars and political instability," said Ahmad Sikainga, a native of Sudan and Professor of History at Ohio State University.  "These conflicts can be attributed to the deeply rooted regional, political and economic inequalities that have persisted for decades," he continued.

     Sikainga noted the role of government and the social elite in the continuing conflicts.  "These inequalities are exemplified by the political, economic, and cultural hegemony of a small group of Arabic-speaking Sudanese elites who have held power and systematically marginalized the non-Arab and non-Muslim groups in the country's peripheries."

     Until 2011 the Sudan was Africa's largest nation in area.  Its regional conflicts have been serious enough to garner global attention.

     The northern region includes Khartoum, the capital city, and always the center of power.  Over 90% of the inhabitants are Muslims and many are of Arab origin.

     The southern region is primarily inhabited by Christians and practitioners of African indigenous religions.  Resistance to northern political dominance has been continuous.  Tension increased after the 1978 discovery of oil in the southern region.

     After independence from Britain, the idea of dividing the Sudan into separate nations became common and formed the basis of the establishment of various political groups in the South.

     The western region of Darfur has been a major conflict area.  Ironically, many of the inhabitants are Muslims, and conflicts are related to resources and governance. 

     On June 30, 1989 General Omar al-Bashir led a military coup against Sudan's elected government.  He was eventually appointed president, but established a military government.  His tenure in power was so oppressive that in 2009 he was among the first world leaders to be issued an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.  The Court allows the accused to turn themselves in.  Al-Bashir refused, but ceased to join other world leaders at sessions of the United Nations General Assembly.

     In 2009 the United Nations described the Sudan under al-Bashir as "the world's worst humanitarian crisis".  This was in reference to the Darfur conflict in which over 300,000 persons have been killed and thousands displaced into refugee camps, often in neighboring countries,

     There have been periods when political parties were banned.  When the bans were lifted, the Bashir government made life very unpleasant for vocal political opponents.

     In July 2011 South Sudan officially became a separate nation.

     In the Sudan (North Sudan) there was a steady increase in civil protests over a variety of issues.  The Bashir government responded with arrests and attacks on media coverage of events and general persecution of opposition politicians.

     On April 11 of this year the military toppled Bashir in a coup and pledged a two-year transition to democracy.  Protests continued with demands for participation in the political process.  In July, the military agreed to engage in discussions with the pro-democracy movement. 

  

                  SAPAA Responds and Local Activities

      "SAPAA is cautious about the agreement," said Wafa Saeed.  "We are watching the process," she continued.

       At the June 30 event, many were attired in light blue T-shirts, blouses and shirts.  This is in honor of a young artist killed by government forces in early June.  He used blue in his artwork and had suggested that it become the official color of the Sudan.

     Meantime SAPAA will continue its work with a Convention and Youth Summit in early August in Denver.  One of SAPAA's goals in to assist with the adjustment of Sudanese children and youth to U.S. society.

     SAPAA estimates that there are approximately 200,000 Sudanese residing in the United States.  There are approximately 5,000 residing in Colorado, primarily in the metropolitan Denver area.

(This article originally appeared in the August 2019 edition of the Denver Urban Spectrum(