Together Against Tribalism

By:Abdul Aziz Ali Omer

Thank you Citizen for organizing an anti-,tribalism campaign which is one of the requirements of peace while the state military leaders arrange for a cease-fire and political solution for the crisis that has forced lots of Sudanese for more than eight months to live through grief abd horror.
Ezzat Yousef , the Rapid Support consultant, a man well-known for his media deception and mis-information by his capatalizing on the tribal feuds and disintegration is playing an old game of divide and rule policy, and it”s very sad for any appealing jealous patriot to see the scale of ethics decadence in Sudanese politics that hasn”t taken the wounded nation out of the poverty abyss and war inferno. Is this a racial discrimination? One native from Gedaref asked pointing that only arab residents were armed. Another one defied him saying “I’mn’t afraid of the Arabs.I”m scared of slaves who will constitute looting gangs when the police and army personell pull out of the city’ he said. Then,another one joined him to say”” ..These black strong brawny young men calling themselves displaced living in schools will attack the markets” There is a mistrust among some members of tribes towards other ones with a different tongue and colour of skin. One of ways to peace is building public trust to reduce the general anxiety augmented by rumours that raise suspicions, cause panic and displacement On the other hand, someone else was re-assuring. He said” The inmates with minor offences will be set free while there will remain drugs dealers and murderers in prison. They will be transported to PortSudan in any contingency” he concluded. It”s good to say people will be secured against the plots of convicts with serious criminal precedants.
Tribalism and sectairnism are one of the social pests that have spread faster than the Dengue fever in recent years. The traditional political parties represented particular sects and were devoted for personalties cult. We have grown up seeing clubs and socities that carry the emblem of certain tribes even at the level of universities support and sympathy came from individuals belonging to thier respective ethnicities and thier efforts had scattered and must have been channelled towards the welfare of the members of community in general regardless of thier racial tendencies. Some of tribes were made an object of biting sarcasm in the daily jokes and T.V comedy. The border tribes still feel an alienation and thier members are vulnerable to security harrassments at check-points and Passport Department.In the current war, the Rapid support Forces profittted from the racial interference of west Sudan tribes that have blood affinity with other tribes beyond the boundaries. These are referred to them as aliens or mercenaries. This labelling gives an impression that there are aborigines and intruders which suspects the loyalty of some Sudanese tribes. Consequently, these tribes which have the power of weapon will revenge against other exclusionary tribes. The foriegn intervention has contributed to inciting violence by backing political parties and armies with sinister interests that were created to serve thier own regions and even called for the self-determination and internal demarcation of frontiers inside territories inhabited by divergent tribes and thus breeds disputes over the land and eventually the development of bloody confllct that threatens the social peace and promotes racial superiority and domination. The massmedia coverages should avoid any reference to the names of tribes for this has its backlash that ncreases the number of victims in retributive processes and expands the confrontation as the collision will involve other tribes in reprisal.
The mosque weekly pulpit should be utilized to eliminate the hate speech that brings about gloating over others suffering as an empathy of people towards one another is important to promote the sense of love and the feeling of brotherhood especiallly the one arising from a religious upbringing that urges a self-restraint, kindness and forgiveness. The concerned authorities must prevent the incidence of any security vacuuam because the absence of the rule of law and public order will compel individuals to resort to the refuge of thier clans and the racial prejudice doesn”t guarntee protection to every one. Among us an innocent child is born.
That infant shouldn’t be prone to the evils of tribalism, bombing and snipers fire. Each child of us deserves to live in peace irresoective of any one creed or pedigree. Homeland and Islamic religion must remain the two common factors uniting us all for mutual respect,affection and cooperation for stability and prosperity.