Sudan’s leading female cultural figures are not suprised Sudan has, once again, erupted in conflict.
Will say it again, Africa will be saved by her young women. Fierce. Courageous. Relentless.
Somalia, Tigray. Sudan. All over the continent. pic.twitter.com/JcXm04Zvki
— Zahra Shirwa (@zshirwac1) April 29, 2023
The vital role women played in the country’s pro-democracy December Revolution, which began in 2018, led to its female leaders being called the new kandakas — a term originally reserved for the mighty queens of ancient Nubia which was used to describe women pro-democracy activists in recent years.
Much has happened since.
Al Majalla spoke to several female intellectuals and writers from the troubled country’s diaspora to gather their views and perspectives on the latest violent crisis raging in their homeland.
Dr. Ishraga Mustafa
Writer and researcher Dr. Ishraga Mustafa describes the current outbreak of war as “the explosion of a ticking time bomb that had been waiting to go off.”
"Conflicts over the distribution of fortune and power have plagued Sudan for a long time. The secession of the Republic of South Sudan was a warning sign that if fortune and power are not distributed justly, countless wars will break out.”
“Just one smile from a stranger can inspire my writing” - Dr Ishraga Mustafa @arablit #bilahudood festival talking to @sawadhussain on a discussion of African narratives in Arabic publishing pic.twitter.com/rmbVccAf7s
— BOOKFABULOUS (@bookfabulous) July 10, 2021
Ishraga says the displacement and murder of hundreds of thousands in Darfur, the Nubian Mountains, and the Blue Nile in the last war “were simply an outcome of the ruling crisis.”
Since its independence, none of Sudan’s rulers dealt properly with the country’s rich diversity, she says.
Rather than helping, the international community made matters worse. Global and regional powers are only concerned with maintaining their interests, while the Islamists maintain their tight grip over the state and its institutions.
“This was quite evident in the coups that took place after the December Revolution, including al-Burhan’s coup with Hemedti on 25 October 2021," she explained.
"All the negotiations and attempts to share power with the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces proved futile, as proven by this last crisis.”