An Unbreakable People

By Ali Askouri

Now, our martyrs can rejoice in their lofty abodes, knowing that their blood was not shed in vain. The men who came after them have continued the difficult journey until they achieved what the martyrs gave their lives for. This is the ultimate commitment that citizens of any nation pledge: that the blood of their martyrs shall never be wasted. Loyalty to the martyrs is only fulfilled by achieving the very goals they sacrificed themselves for.

This war has cost us dearly in the blood of our finest sons. Yet, our people were determined to achieve victory—and they prevailed, despite the heavy price. Today, we are a different nation, a victorious people.

The battles for the liberation of Al-Jazira and Khartoum have left deep wounds and painful scars in each of us and in our society—scars that may take a long time to heal, if they ever do. It would be a grave mistake to ignore them or attempt to move past them too quickly. People are not the same as they were before the war, nor is society what it once was. It is crucial that we write about what has happened to us and to our nation. Expressing our pain, documenting our wounds and sorrows—this is essential for societal healing.

This war has shown those who did not know us before that we are a people unafraid of death, unmoved by the clatter of weapons. We are not a broken nation, begging for protection from foreign powers. Time and again, our sons in the army and the mobilized battalions have proven their ability to defend our land, giving their all in its defense. They never wavered, never faltered—until they emerged victorious. Though many (and you know who they are) have tried to diminish or downplay our triumph, twisting words as if our victory were anything but a victory, they cannot hide the sun with their fingers. What happened was a resounding victory, unmatched by any other African nation. That is a fact they do not wish to acknowledge.

Having studied the history of urban warfare in various countries, I can confidently say that what the Sudanese army, intelligence forces, and mobilized fighters achieved is nothing short of a military miracle. I hope that military historians will thoroughly document this achievement in multiple languages so that the world may understand what our forces and our people have accomplished.

One of our nation’s greatest weaknesses is that we do not document or professionally record our achievements. As a result, others rewrite our history as they please. There is an African proverb I often recall: “Until lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” This means that the bravery of the lions against the hunters is lost to history—because no one records it.

It is our duty as writers and researchers to document this history and this victory with professionalism. Not merely to record our heroics, but as a responsibility to future generations, so they know what their ancestors achieved and how they defended their homeland. Only through this can we ensure the continuation of heroism and honor.

The conspirators must understand that this land we inhabit is ours. It belonged to our ancestors and will remain the land of our descendants. We alone determine its fate. Whether they bring militias or mercenaries, it makes no difference. This land is ours, and Sudan is our homeland—whether they like it or not. Let the conspirators mount their highest horses, for we are an unbreakable people. That is the truth they despise.

They gathered and prepared everything—weaponry, supplies, and ammunition beyond imagination—believing this would be an easy conquest, a mere excursion that would bring the country under their control. They thought they could reduce our people to slaves, mere beasts of burden in their new colony, ruled by a wretched militia devoid of values and morals. Their plan was to seize our land and do with it as they pleased.

They thought that, with desert scavengers and hired mercenaries, they could break our will and scatter us across the earth. They left nothing to chance—calculating every detail, planning every step. But in their meticulous calculations, they overlooked two crucial factors. These were the very elements that led to the downfall of their militias, forcing them to retreat in disgrace, dragging the tails of their shame behind them.

Their first mistake was underestimating our people’s unwavering determination to hold onto their land and die defending it. Their second and fatal miscalculation was misjudging the courage and resilience of our sons in protecting their land, their honor, and their nation’s sovereignty.

In wars, one can calculate the enemy’s weaponry, ammunition, and the skill of their soldiers in combat. However, what military leaders find hardest to measure is the enemy’s courage, resilience, and sheer ferocity in battle. These psychological factors are what often upset the calculations of military strategists and prove decisive in warfare.

Those who planned this war failed because they misjudged the bravery of our soldiers. They assumed that our forces would flee at the first gunshot. But they quickly realized they were facing an army of roaring lions. Their plans unraveled, their calculations collapsed—until they were ultimately defeated, fleeing in disgrace, leaving behind their dead and a trove of abandoned weapons.

Throughout history, humanity has learned a fundamental truth: any war waged against a people on their own land is a doomed war, no matter how superior the aggressor’s weaponry. This has been the lesson of all colonial wars. More recently, the wars in Vietnam, Cambodia, Afghanistan (both against the Soviets and the Americans), Iraq, and Somalia serve as stark reminders of this reality. These conflicts reaffirm the self-evident truth of history: fighting a people on their own land is a losing battle, no matter how long it lasts.

Recognizing this, imperialist powers have devised a new strategy—one designed to deceive. Instead of direct invasions, they now orchestrate wars using factions from within the target country, supplying them with weapons while manipulating the media and international organizations to obscure their crimes. The idea is that when war is waged by local groups rather than foreign invaders, the national spirit to resist is weakened. People are made to believe it is merely an internal conflict, not foreign aggression.

This deception aims to blur the lines, making some hesitate or claim neutrality—such as those who called it a “conflict between generals.” But in reality, those who waged the war and those who feigned neutrality were mere tools and puppets of global imperialist forces. They sold themselves to these powers and rode their wooden horses into battle.

Of course, the Sudanese people did not fall for this flimsy ploy. They rose as one, defended their land with unparalleled bravery, sacrificed immensely, and shed the blood of countless martyrs. And the ultimate outcome? The undeniable truth that we stated earlier: you cannot conquer a people on their own land.

When we called for arming the people and preparing a popular resistance force, the agents of imperialism panicked. They warned against civil war. But in doing so, they inadvertently admitted that the ongoing conflict was not a civil war—it was a full-scale foreign invasion. If they feared that arming the people would lead to civil war, then logically, what was happening at the time was not one. Instead, it was an external attack—one that required every capable citizen to rise in defense of their homeland.

Today, as we congratulate our people, it is not merely for expelling the militias from the capital and beyond. That was always a foregone conclusion. No one congratulates themselves for something as routine as buying bread from the bakery. Likewise, victory is second nature to our army and our people. Instead, we celebrate the rediscovery of our own strength—our realization that through unity, we can achieve miracles.

The nightmare of imperialism will persist in its attempt to dominate our nation. The militias were their last desperate gambit, and they believed they had succeeded—until they were forced to retreat in disgrace.

Because we know that imperialist attempts will not cease, we must pause, reflect, and reevaluate every aspect of our lives and governance. Only then can we build a formidable nation that commands respect.

And to the fleeing militias and their lackeys, we say: “Will you dare return?”

This land is ours.

Originally published in “Sudanese Echoes”