We Raise Chin High so as to Hold Back our Tears…

Mahjoub Fadl Badri

What is happening in our country brings tears to the eyes, bleeds the heart, and breaks the spirit. Yet, there is no use in weeping, nor room for sorrow, as we wage a war whose end is known to God alone.
As for the ” Dagalo” militia, their backs have been exposed and their true, shameful nature revealed—left utterly vulnerable—after the “patron” mini-state had its fill of them and ceased to care about the fate of those remaining. Yet, that mini-state has not withdrawn from the war against our country; witness the drones—which the Janjaweed themselves do not know how to operate, for they lack even basic literacy or comprehension of their own actions, let alone where they are being led.
What truly causes sorrow and regret, however, is seeing some of our own people fall victim to a lust for power or wealth—money stained with blood, gained at the expense of a wounded homeland. They may or may not realize that in the realm of illicit trade—smuggling, mercenary work, or acting as an agent—there are no friends, only operatives. And the gulf between a friend and an operative is vast indeed.
When unbridled ambition clashes with limited capability, the resulting irony can be laughable—though it is a laughter akin to weeping, and the situation may be absolute or merely relative.
The late Professor Mahjoub Obeid—Sudan’s own Einstein—once said: “If you stand beside the one you love for an hour, it feels like a minute; yet if you stand on a hot coal for just a minute, it feels like an hour—that is the theory of relativity.” It is much like the person who claims to stand with the national army in the “Dignity War” while actively smuggling gold. Ultimately, whether he intends it or not, he finds himself in the camp of the enemy; he feels no pangs of conscience, nor does his heart harbor any sense of pious restraint.
Al-Farouq Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The believer possesses a piety that prevents him from deceiving others, and an intellect that prevents him from being deceived.” How, then, can we be misled by someone who claims to stand with the army while actively engaging in corruption or smuggling?
In the midst of the “Dignity War” battles, we see deception walking openly in our midst, embodied by a corrupt system that has entrenched itself deep within the state’s institutions. Yet, the government shows little interest in rooting out corruption; instead, it may even pursue those who speak out against it, demanding proof for their claims. It ignores the fact that a journalist is not a security agency equipped with powers of arrest, surveillance, or official audit. It should suffice for a journalist to point out instances of corruption—without defamation or malicious intent—leaving it to the state, with its authority and agencies, to investigate the allegations. For the journalist, the core accuracy of the report is what matters; if they report—accurately—that a specific entity or ministry has embezzled millions or billions in pounds or dollars, the subsequent discovery of specific details does not constitute a crime. Tragically, however, the journalist is arrested and branded a criminal, while the accused entity assumes the role of the victim. Thus, corruption spreads unchecked, and the dollar exchange rate skyrockets, nearly touching the ten-thousand-pound mark! Gold produced through artisanal mining—a veritable lifeline—slips through the fingers of our exhausted economy, feeding the arteries of a modern-day Korah: a “mini-state of evil” wallowing in obscene wealth and coveting our country’s riches and resources, devoid of any conscience or shred of morality.
A starving person has no voice, nor the luxury of time to ponder anything else, with an empty belly and ears ringing from the wailing of women and the screaming of children crying, “Food! Food!”—for hunger shows no mercy.
Given this situation, we urge this government (or any other) to devote its full effort to addressing the wretched living conditions of the vast majority of citizens suffering from abject poverty and destitution. They must think outside the box and devise innovative solutions rather than repeating failed experiments—for he who repeats what has already failed reaps only regret. Do not be misled by the citizens’ enduring patience; they weep inwardly, and were they to unleash their tears, they would flow like streams.
May God have mercy on Omda (Chief) Wad Naway. He once held authority and presided over a court in the city of Kosti and its environs, until the May Revolution abolished the Native Administration system, leaving him in dire straits. Some time later, an acquaintance met him and asked:
“How are things, *Omda*?”
He replied: “By God, my son, I hold back my tears only by keeping my chin held high.” He meant that he walked with his head raised; were he to lower it, his tears would spill—yet he refused to show his weeping despite the calamity that had befallen him.
Have mercy on this valiant people—who keep their heads held high to prevent their tears from falling—and may God have mercy on us all.

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