In the Presence of Victory

By: Sanaa Hamad Al-Awad

Writing in this moment, in these immortal days—days of triumph—Sudan is being remade, with a new spirit and a new essence.

We once gained our independence with ease, through negotiations between the two colonial powers. Though it was a significant historical event, it came too easily; it did not forge a deep national spirit or an overwhelming sense of belonging. But today, everyone feels the true value of having a homeland—a place to which even birds return after seeking their sustenance. A homeland is a sanctuary of dignity, security, pride, and contentment. Even if one struggles for a livelihood, it grants a profound sense of freedom—the feeling of standing on your own land as its rightful owner, living on your own terms.

This war was waged to drive you out so that strangers—heartless and ruthless—could seize your home, your land, and your means of living. They came from places you had only encountered in geography books, from societies where they were oppressed minorities, and so they sought to oppress you.

This victory is a celebration of a battle for existence, for dignity, for survival against displacement. A battle for justice and truth, one that has given Sudanese people a new purpose—the mission to defend their land and their right to exist, to protect their homeland.

For this victory to be realized, this land was watered with the blood of thousands of martyrs, with grief settling in thousands of homes, embracing widows, orphans, and the bereaved.

In the presence of victory, this war has brought us back to God in surrender and devotion. We all knew that every door had closed before this nation, leaving only the face of God, and so we placed our trust entirely in Him.

O people—O you, O she, O they…

In the presence of victory, we stand before our Lord with bowed heads, in humility and gratitude, in prostration and praise.

Congratulations on your victory.
Congratulations on your homeland.