My Wartime Memories of Southern Sudan – When Killing Becomes Methodology (four part series)

By Hisham Abass

Translated by: Ahmed Elzobier

May 27, 2012 — Hisham Abbas wrote on a Sudanese website a compelling and horrific story about the wars in the south. He and many others were forcibly recruited at the young age of 17 before they had even finished high school. Without proper training and coerced with lies and deception, they found themselves in the war zone in the south. He estimated that over 600 young men died during his 10-month ordeal in the south in 1997, many of disease, others from bullets. Most of them had no idea what they were fighting for and some of them lost their sanity. After his experience he ended up developing an all-encompassing hatred for the regime in Khartoum and he wrote: “My hatred for this government, after my return from South Sudan, has increased. If you add up all the hatred in the entire universe, it is not enough; it will be a tiny part of how I feel towards this criminal government which did not observe any humanitarian, ethical or religious standards. They did anything just to save themselves.”

I hope this translation helps many people for whom Arabic is not their first language, to be able to access this talented young man’s story about the wars of Sudan. In the novel “The Kindly Ones”, the narrator, a former Nazi officer, describes his involvement in the war, stating that “atrocities were a function of being in the wrong place at the wrong time”. Meanwhile, the killing machine in Sudan continues. On 19 May 2012, the governor of Khartoum announced that 5,000 young men (martyrs, as he calls them) from the state of Khartoum alone, had died in the recent conflict in South Kordofan, Blue Nile, and with South Sudan in Haglig. By all accounts this very large number may only be half the actual figure, let alone those from the other side who also died. For how long should this killing machine continue?

The recent Haglig crisis with South Sudan, however, has exposed to the world the low moral standards of the ruling party in Sudan and shown its true character to be mean, bitter and vindictive. President Al Bashir outperformed the rest with his rhetoric and customary dance. One of his favorite songs is a traditional Sudanese one whose lyrics go something like this: “They entered [the battlefield] and the vultures fly [over the enemy’s dead bodies]”. The words try to describe the horrible death of the enemy and how their bodies are left for the vultures to rip to pieces. The song conjures up a disturbing image and seems suitable for someone indicted of genocide and war crimes for killing his own people. His victims are young people like Hisham Abass.

Below you will find his heartfelt story which started from a training in Camp in Northern State near Dongla and ended up in Equatoria state in South Sudan.

part 1

http://www.sudantribune.com/My-memories-of-Southern-Sudan-when,42729

part 2

http://www.sudantribune.com/My-memories-of-Southern-Sudan-when,42794

part 3

http://www.sudantribune.com/My-memories-of-Southern-Sudan-when,42908

part 4

http://www.sudantribune.com/My-Memories-of-Southern-Sudan-when,43242

About Post Author

PaanLuel Wël

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PaanLuel Wël is the founder and editor-in-chief of PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd, a news website that covers news, opinions, analysis, history, culture and literature of South Sudan and the world. Founded in July 2011 by PaanLuel Wël to create a platform for free expression and constructive dialogue, the website features articles from various contributors, including columnists, commentators, poets, authors, activists and academics. PaanLuel Wël believes that media can play a vital role in informing, educating and empowering the people to participate in nation-building and social transformation. He also believes that media can foster a culture of dialogue, tolerance and diversity among different communities and groups, and hopes to inspire and mentor the next generation of South Sudanese writers and journalists.

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