Wad Madani: The Seed of Resistance and the Harvest of Freedom

In the future, historians will say that, in a pivotal moment in Sudan’s history, General Shams al-Din Kabashi was the hero of the great liberation battle, which began in Sennar and did not end in Wad Madani and Umm Rawaba.

This is not my statement, but rather the chants of the jubilant crowds in Wad Madani as they brought down a year and a month of destruction and oppression, countless deaths, and the deaths of children, infants, and the elderly from fear, lack of food, and medicine.

The flame of resistance was ignited by Kabashi’s speech at the First Division, which complemented the oath he swore to the Sudanese people weeks earlier. He had promised pleasant surprises, which heralded the profound change in the dignity battlefront and the balance of power.

Hemedti and his civilian allies realized that the blow they received was not just a military and political defeat but a turning point in their trajectory. It cost them whatever trust they had left with the Sudanese people and rendered them unable to justify the defeat, leading them to accuse the army of committing war crimes.

On the morning of Sunday, January 12, 2025, the day after the liberation of Sudan’s heart—Wad Madani—Captain Pilot Mohamed Ali Abu Quroon was flying the Sudanese Air Force Antonov aircraft. (This is another tale of the heroics of Sudanese Air Force officers and soldiers, which we will write about later.) He was heading to Al-Shouk Airport, carrying the Sudanese media delegation led by heroes of the military media: Colonel Gaboosh, Major Atef Fathi, and Major Mohamed Derrar, to cover the liberation saga of Wad Madani.

On the land route from Gedaref to Madani, a question came to my mind: Who can control the course of events in Sudan? Since April 15, 2023, Hemedti’s militias have destroyed half of Sudan, turned the other cities into camps, set fires in occupied areas, and upended the situation entirely. The brutal and reckless war continued until we were consumed by despair. Then, suddenly, the Sudanese army began achieving unexpected victories. The heroic fighters on the ground sent us warm congratulations for the New Year.

As I watched the scattered corpses of the rebels and the destroyed combat vehicles along the land route from Gedaref to Wad Madani, I realized that there is only one road in our country that never errs—the road to victory.

At the entrance to Hantoub Bridge, the bodies were scattered, and the vehicles destroyed. It seemed that a fierce battle had taken place at this point. We found the residents rejoicing in the streets, with the fighting factions spread across the city. Wad Madani was fortunate; its infrastructure remained intact. It appeared that the “Eagles of the Sky” were cautious with their targeting. The streets still held their charm, and the air was clean except for the faint smell of gunpowder, joyfully emanating from the rifles of the heroes.

The city was not spared from looting; shops were stripped of their doors, and uninhabited homes were ransacked, with pieces of furniture scattered on the streets.

As I left, the city appeared to me as if it were smiling.

With love and respect.