on Sudan

Today we will hear from Sudanese diasporan activists who are maintaining vital attention on the conflict which has been taking place in Sudan since April 15. The human cost of this current iteration of conflict is immeasurable from those observing from a far, but very measurable to those impacted directly, whether in Sudan or in the Diaspora. It is vital we direct our empathy into action. Our compassion into measured and intentional activities that are led by those impacted, in country as well as in the Sudanese diaspora. The interconnectedness of this conflict impacts the entire African world, not just segments. The current conflict is between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Lt. General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo also known as “Hemetti”. The conflict continues to take a devastating toll on people across the country. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has recently estimated that an additional 2.5 million are expected to slip into hunger in the coming months. WFP has provided food aid to nearly one million people in 14 of the country’s 18 states since resuming operations on 3 May; the UN agency plans to expand support to 5.9 million people by the end of the year. Today, we will hear a recent conversation between Africa World Now Project’s Mwiza Munthali and Dimah Mahmoud. Dr. Dimah Mahmoud is a humanist, Pan-Africanist, and Actionist. Her extensive interdisciplinary expertise in research, cross cultural communication, political analysis and project management are reflected in the diverse public programs and conferences she organizes as well as the initiatives and collaborations she spearheads through her strategic research consultancy established in 2014. Her work contributes to advancing sustainable socio-economic and political development in Africa and the Middle East. She has consulted for a number of international organizations and is co-founder of: The Nubia Initiative (TNI), a transboundary organization aimed at leveraging art, academia and technology to protect, preserve and promote Nubia’s endangered heritage and languages. Dr. Mahmoud completed her MA and PhD at the University of Exeter, UK on Middle East Policy Studies and Sudanese Foreign Policy and International Legitimacy respectively. She obtained her BA in Political Science from Towson University. We will also hear voices from the demonstration, which was graciously provided to us by Sudanese American journalist Isma’il Kushkush. After Dimah, we will hear, in the following order, from recent Harvard graduate, Reem Ali, in both a poem she delivered at the 2023 program honoring Black graduates from Harvard and then her reflections at the June 3rd demonstration. And Emi Mahmoud. Emi Mahmoud is a Sudanese American slam poet. Emi Mahmoud has supported the work of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency since 2016 and was appointed as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador in June 2018 after giving the opening performance at TEDxKakumaCamp, the first ever TEDx event held in a refugee camp. Born in Khartoum, Sudan, before later moving to the United States, Emi has used her talents to raise awareness around refugee causes. 1] https://www.worldhistory.org/user/dimah/ 2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biTJD9FLNf0 3] https://emi-mahmoud.com/ 4] Image: Tate, "Ibrahim El-Salahi, The Inevitable," in Smarthistory, September 10, 2021, accessed June 21, 2023, https://smarthistory.org/ibrahim-el-salahi-the-inevitable/