Realistically: Seventy Years of Independence… and the Road Is Still Long

By Khalid Al-Eisir

Seventy years have passed since Sudan gained its independence. Once again, the national flag was raised high above the mast of the Republican Palace, fluttering as it perhaps never has before—carrying with it the hopes of successive generations, the aspirations of a great people, and a long record of patience along arduous paths that were neither easy nor straight. The most severe twists along these paths were those the country endured over the past six years, with the last three being the most devastating of all.

Seventy years is no fleeting moment in the life of nations and peoples. It represents a full experience, rich in lessons, marked by achievements as well as failures. It calls for an honest pause for self-reflection—not a ceremonial celebration confined to slogans and patriotic chants, nor a recycling of emotional rhetoric, but rather a conscious review of the past and a serious preparation for what lies ahead.

Over these seven decades, our beloved homeland, Sudan, has faced immense challenges, including internal conflicts, political divisions, mismanagement of diversity, and social and economic repercussions that have weighed heavily on citizens and profoundly affected the course of development and stability. The country has also suffered wars that left countless victims, waves of displacement and refuge, and deep wounds that continue to bleed—wounds that demand treatment and redress guided by a spirit of national responsibility.

Economically, Sudan has yet to succeed in transforming its vast resources into sustainable prosperity for its people. Performance has declined in vital sectors, foremost among them agriculture, despite the enormous potential that once led Sudan to be described as capable of becoming the world’s breadbasket. Basic services—health, education, culture, and others—have likewise deteriorated as a result of instability and the accumulation of crises.

Politically, Sudan has experienced significant democratic experiments, but they were short-lived, preventing the consolidation of good governance traditions and weakening trust between citizens and the state—a lesson that must be confronted with honesty and responsibility.

Yet fairness demands acknowledgment that, despite everything, the Sudanese people have remained resilient, capable of renewal, and committed to the values of coexistence, tolerance, and national belonging. This is the true asset upon which we must build.

Seventy painful years—and if we were to consider only what befell the National Museum of Sudan, looted and destroyed by the rebel Rapid Support Forces militia, we would find that the loss of the country’s archaeological treasures alone constitutes an irreplaceable national tragedy.

Seventy years have passed, and the question is no longer: What happened?
What happened defies the limits of comprehension.
The more important questions are: What do we learn?
And what do we want to build together for the future?

The real challenge before us today lies in establishing a state founded on equal citizenship, justice, the rule of law, and respect for cultural and ethnic diversity—a state in which every Sudanese feels that their rights are protected, their dignity preserved, and opportunities available without discrimination. This requires a fair reassessment of the distribution of wealth and power, guided by an approach rooted in equity and realistic mutual benefit.

We are not asked to deny the past, nor to place the burden of decades of accumulation on a single generation. But we are all required to assume responsibility for the present and to shape the future through shared will, serious effort, and honest discourse.

Hope remains: Can we make the coming years the beginning of a new path?
Can 2026 mark the launch of a different seventy years—guided by an inclusive national vision, a modern state, and a new understanding of governance and development?

That is the challenge. And that is the hope we must work for, with God’s help.

May every year find the Sudanese people well, and may Sudan move ever closer to peace, stability, and prosperity.