The Pillar in Khartoum… Tales of the “Democracy” and the Journalists’ Island

During the presence of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum
A lawyer once passed by an RSF checkpoint. They stopped him and demanded he show his identification after severely beating him. They said, “You look like a spy.” The lawyer replied, “Guys, I’m not a spy, nor intelligence—I’m a lawyer.” They asked, “A lawyer? What’s that?” He said, “Of law… here are my papers.” They didn’t recognize any document except the national ID, so they called the commander to verify his papers. The commander said, “He’s a lawyer, let him go.” The lawyer asked for the return of his other documents, fearing he might be stopped again, but the soldier kept them, saying, “Why do you need them?” The lawyer explained he had long dreamed of being a lawyer, and now that he had become one, they wouldn’t return his union card. After negotiations, the soldier kept the union card but returned the national ID.
Journalists’ Island
During RSF control of central Khartoum, a newspaper worker tried to reach the Soccer newspaper offices to retrieve passports kept at the office east of the Arab Market. He managed to sneak through Qasr Street toward the newspaper but was stopped by the RSF. They asked, “Where are you going?” He replied, “To the newspaper.” They laughed, mocking him: “You think there’s an island here for you?” They made him lie on the ground, crawl, and hop like a rabbit while they hit him with batons. One of them said to his companions: “This guy looks stupid or crazy. Island? What island here?” They beat him and sent him back, asking repeatedly: “Are you stupid or crazy?” He replied, “Stupid. In the neighborhood, they call me ‘the stupid one.’” They said, “Then why didn’t you say so earlier?” The newspaper had nothing to do with the passport.
“This One is Yours, Woman…”
A woman recounted her experience during the RSF presence in Ombada: “My mother swore we wouldn’t leave the house because the RSF were entering homes, killing people, and kidnapping girls. We thought carefully about how to leave safely. There were three of us girls, our mother, and I was the eldest. We disguised ourselves in worn clothes and abayas and set out. At Libya Market, amid constant gunfire, we encountered three RSF members who stopped us. My mother trembled. ‘Where are you going?’ they asked. ‘These are my daughters,’ my mother said. They insisted my mother confess quickly or they’d take the girls. My mother collapsed. I was the first pulled toward them; my veil fell. When they saw my hair, they said, ‘No God but Allah… a woman? Your hair looks like this? Your sisters too?’ I explained we had a skin disease and were going to the hospital. They said, ‘Go, you animals… this one is yours, woman.’”
Bringing You the “Democracy”
Someone shared a story from Ombada: “A friend of mine was terrified of them. When we walked the streets, he clung to my phone. He asked, ‘Why aren’t you afraid? Why don’t they stop you?’ I told him, ‘When you walk the streets, look fierce, don’t meet their eyes—they fear you.’ He tried this, approached a checkpoint, and they stopped him: ‘Why are you so angry with us? We’re bringing you democracy.’ They beat him and told him not to come again.”
The Burhani Method
A man passing an RSF checkpoint was stopped. They asked for his papers; he replied he had none. They asked where he was going; he said, “Nearby.” They started beating him. He shouted, “You, from the Makashfia (Sufi sect), are chasing me?” They asked if he was from the Kabashi (another sect). He explained he was from the Makashfia; they checked and said, “You’re lying, you’re trying to trick us.” They continued beating him while laughing. When they stopped, they asked, “Why are you laughing?” He said, “My friend from the Burhani order is coming after me.”