At present, the country of Sudan, located in northeastern Africa, is gripped in an on-going power struggle that has been taken to the streets in riotous protest in recent days despite attempts to coerce and suppress free speech by the ruling president, Omar Al-Bashir of the National Congress party.  Bashir has moved to close communication channels in efforts to stymie challenges to his fragile hold on the country. The protests that have erupted inside the nation have been characterized by the state as being the work of conspirators and to their credit, this may well be the case given that, Al-Sadiq al-Mahdi has announced his decision to form an opposing political coalition to be named “The National Charter Front”.

Al-Mahdi is the former Prime Minister of Sudan who Al-Bashir unseated through conquest in 1989. As a humanist observer, I can only hope that the people of Sudan might finally see an end to the decades long bloodshed that has gripped so many of its regions due to the power vacuum that exists in this unsecured and crumbling state.

All of Sudan Needs Help

Outrage has been directed at the President for his handling of the protests and the incongruence in the state’s version of death tolls with the opposition only fuels the tremendous divide that is over taking civil society within Sudan. Al-Mahdi seems determined to unseat the current president and the world can only hope this situation will play out more peacefully for the people living through the conflict within this state.

Sudan desperately needs attention from the International Community. Africa is struggling and the humanitarian crisis is only deepening. The time to act is now. All nations of the world should band together to assist the humanitarian crisis unfolding in this and many other regions of the world. The plight of Sudan only reminds me of the fate of Japan and the fear that slowly our world is crumbling before our eyes. The wars and calamities on the other side of the world do affect, they do change and alter everything about the sanctity of our lives. We could put millions if not billions to work on humanitarian projects around the world and we should consider every possible avenue for lending support not only to our local communities but also to those of the wider world.

Sudan has over 5 million refugees currently designated. What will we do to assist them? Is this geopolitical nightmare not worth the attention of those with the ability to drastically offer assistance? Is it not the responsibility of all free democratic societies to promote the peace and prosperity?

Sudan deserves the attention of the International Community. Human Rights should be the priority of all societies in the world. As this nation continues to shape its identity, I am reminded of the government closure currently gripping my own country and the lesson of the day becomes that much more clear: Control is never simple, you can suppress the truth, but eventually, it all comes out in the wash. All nations can shape new futures for themselves. All citizens of the world deserve peace.