The Quad’s Calls for Peace: Serpents in the Cool Shadows – The Tale of the Terrible Valley

By Mini Arko Minawi

In one of the remote valleys stretching through the heart of our country, venomous snakes lie hidden beneath the sand, sheltered in cool shadows. This valley—seemingly a serene and ideal resting place at first glance—conceals a deadly threat. Its dense, leafy trees cast calming shade and offer a refreshing coolness during scorching summer days, while the soft sand beneath them invites travelers to pause and rest. Yet few know that this beautiful place hides mortal danger.

The valley serves as a refuge for a particular kind of snake—creatures capable of burying themselves beneath the sand and disappearing from sight, making them nearly impossible to detect. These snakes inhabit the thick shadows beneath the trees, an area neither humans nor animals dare approach for rest or food. Their presence poses a real threat to anyone reckless enough to draw near.

Local residents know well that the inviting shade of these trees is far from safe, choosing instead to rest beneath trees that offer little shade but shelter no deadly creatures. Many outsiders, however, remain unaware of this hidden truth. They fall prey to the lure of the cool shadows, only to find themselves face-to-face with a danger that could cost them their lives—whether from a snakebite or from animals that feed on these poisonous snakes.

These cool shadows remain a deceptive blend of beauty and peril—avoided by those who know the truth, yet sought by the unwary who pay a heavy and sometimes fatal price. Thus, the valley remains a sanctuary for venomous snakes, a story that warns against being deceived by appearances and seeking comfort in places far more dangerous than they seem.

It is a lesson in the importance of vigilance—of recognizing the misleading ease of the shade, and valuing the knowledge that shields one from the traps nature conceals within its most beautiful forms.

These so-called calls for peace appear, at first glance, to promote calm and stability. Yet, beneath the surface, they reveal an attempt to hand the country over to the Rapid Support Forces’ Janjawid, who now play a secondary role as cover for external agendas. Anyone participating in this process must confront a fundamental question:
Why speak of peace only after the ethnic cleansing and genocide in El Fasher—atrocities that could have been prevented from the outset?