Let the Janjaweed Drink the Sea Dry

Mahjoub Fadl Badri

Whoever claimed that history does not repeat itself was mistaken, as proven by the events and atrocities of the terrorist militia’s war, which unfolded in the same region—the Nile strip—and with the same mindset that believes the Nile should have only flowed through their lands.

It’s as if those who settled on the Nile’s banks dug it to deprive others of its flow. The saying “this is from the time they dug the sea,” often used to describe the antiquity of something, emerged from this context, leading to the Nile strip inhabitants being called “the people of the sea,” referring to those living along the Nile.

In one of the eccentric sayings of the dervishes who plagued our land during the Mahdist era, the field commander of Abdullah Wad Turshin (the “prince”), Yunus Wad Al-Dikeem, was said to have addressed the Nile, saying: “By God, we will drink you dry (jawoot).” While this statement remains unverified, what is certain is his letter to Kitchener, which read:

“From Wad Al-Dikeem, the anvil of horses and the demon of the infidels, to Kitchener, the leader of shirk (polytheism) and atheists: This is your day. By God, we will meet you in the heart of the valley, tear you apart limb by limb, chew you up, drink you dry (jawoot), and stretch you out (baaa), hanging your remains on the trees of the wilderness.”

Among the anecdotes about Yunus Wad Al-Dikeem is the story of an alleged letter sent by Khalifa Abdullah Al-Taaishi, the successor of the Mahdi, to Queen Victoria of Britain, stating:

“Submit, and you will be safe. We invite you to Islam, and if you accept and believe in entering the religion of God, we will purify you and marry you to Prince Yunus Wad Al-Dikeem, provided he agrees. Peace be upon those who follow the guidance.”

The point here is that the same environment or mentality that produced the “Jihadiyya” soldiers of the Mahdist state or dervishes also produced the “Rapid Support Forces” (Janjaweed militia). The actions are nearly identical, with the only notable difference being that the dervishes claimed they fought to spread Mahdism, while today’s Janjaweed claim to fight for democracy—though some struggle even to pronounce it correctly, saying “timugorati” with difficulty.

Both the Jihadiyya and the Janjaweed share in the killing of innocents, the abduction of women, the destruction of infrastructure, the plundering of property, and the displacement of populations. They view anyone who does not share their origin as an outsider (“Bahari” or “child of the river”) whose blood and honour are permissible to violate. This is similar to how the Jihadiyya viewed anyone who did not believe in the Mahdist doctrine as a disbeliever, regardless of their adherence to Islam, prayer, fasting, or Quran recitation.

Just as Khalifa Abdullah incited his reckless young relative, Mahmoud Wad Ahmed, to massacre the Ja’aliyin tribe and others along the Nile, today’s Janjaweed commit atrocities in villages across Al-Jazirah almost daily. Hundreds of villages have been forcibly depopulated, and thousands displaced. What, then, links the Jihadiyya and the Janjaweed, other than murder, theft, and destruction?

Now, they reap the bitter fruits of their wicked deeds as our heroic army inflicts the humiliation of repeated defeats upon them. They have nowhere to turn, with no shelter or hideouts from the relentless airstrikes. They can neither cross the river nor escape the wrath of justice. All remains for them to “drink the river dry” (jawoot), leaving the fish flopping on the muddy banks.

Message delivered?

One of the governors wrote a letter to one of his subordinates, using unpunctuated letters such that every two words seemed identical. Upon deciphering the letter with dots and vowels, it read:

“Your pride deceived you.”
“It turned into humiliation.”
“So fear the disgrace.”
“Lest your actions undo you.”
“This will bring you peace.”

Without dots and vowels, the message remains ambiguous—this is what has become known as the security of correspondence or a level of secrecy.

To the militia: you have no choice but to drink the river dry (jawoot).

Victory to our brave army.
Glory and resilience to our fighting people.
Shame and disgrace to our enemies and collaborators.
Victory is only from God.
God is Greatest, and may the eyes of cowards never rest.