The Face of Truth: The Misbah Sparks Controversy!
Ibrahim Shglawi
Amid the seismic transformations Sudan has been undergoing since the outbreak of the April 15, 2023 war, certain truths can no longer be postponed. Foremost among them is that national sovereignty is not preserved through slogans, but built upon strategic preparedness and a collective awareness that nations are not safeguarded by armies alone, but through the bravery of their people in defending them.
The tweet by the leader of the “Al-Bara’ bin Malik Legion,” in which he announced the readiness to prepare half a million young men as a reserve force under the command of the armed forces and state institutions, reflects this new understanding. It is not a call for parallel conscription, but a strategic vision for a civilian support force—ready without burdening the state—that serves as a popular extension of the army and a backup in times of need.
When the preparation of half a million youths trained in the use of arms is proposed, it is not merely for military confrontation. It is about preparing a new generation, aware of the duties of sovereignty and capable of protecting national decision-making, at a time when states collapse from within—not at the hands of armies, but through attacks on awareness, economy, and state institutions.
This war, as Misbah Talha expressed, is not a war over borders or power, but a war of existence against a project aimed at dismantling the nation-state in favor of a colonial scheme operated through local and regional tools. There is no room here for spontaneity. The scene points to an organized attempt to strip Sudan of its decision-making tools, rendering it a violated state whose resources are controlled from abroad and governed by local proxies.
At the heart of this scene, regional roles cannot be ignored, having gone beyond humanitarian support to attempts at influencing the trajectory of the conflict through various means—from supporting the Rapid Support Forces militia to promoting a false peace narrative—thus cementing a new reality that replaces rifles with conferences and national sovereignty with international diplomatic recommendations.
What is required is not just supporting the armed forces, raising their salaries, improving their work environment, and mobilizing resources for them, but also building a parallel youth system—trained and believing in its role—representing an intellectual and field force that understands that the nation is not protected by the rifle alone, but by awareness, knowledge, willpower, and readiness.
This war has taught us that there is no victory without preparation, and no sovereignty without young people holding weapons in one hand and awareness in the other. It is time for the Sudanese street to transform from a waiting space into a ready reserve for every emergency. It is also time for youth to take the lead in Sudan—leadership, pioneering, and unity—without exclusion or arrogance toward others.
Hence, the importance of inspiring regional models. Just as Rwanda rebuilt itself after 1994 following one of the most horrific humanitarian tragedies in modern history—investing in its youth through education, political participation, and technological leadership—Sudan can follow the same path, with comprehensive approaches that awaken the potential of its youth and refine their awareness of their right to dream, to participate, and to defend their homeland.
Anyone studying the reality of Sudanese youth today realizes that the bet should not be placed solely on the state, but on community partnership involving educational institutions, civil organizations, and the private sector. Only the unity of participatory action can transform the wounds of war into a building energy.
The tweet published by the leader of “Al-Bara’ Legion,” and reported by “Naba Sudan” platform, came in a form that reveals a qualitative development in the understanding of the nature of the battle. He wrote: “Our strategy is to prepare half a million mujahideen as a powerful reserve force whenever the nation needs them, under the leadership of the armed forces and state institutions, without administrative burdens on the state.” It is not a call for a militia, but a vision for national popular readiness integrated within the state apparatus.
Reactions to the tweet were not superficial. Some demanded increasing the number even more. This is not exaggeration, but rather a cry of awareness in the face of a reality they intended to bury. The recent war was not a conventional military confrontation, but an organized attempt to bring down the state from within—driven by international agendas and regional tools.
Therefore, we must realize, as we see from the #Face_of_Truth, that those who engineered the project to dismantle Sudan will not be stopped by a single battle; their battles will continue to renew. Thus, true victory begins with awareness, organization, and willpower. And unless we transform into a state with a national project that unites its people, builds peace from within, and protects its decisions with the awareness of its youth, sovereignty will remain a postponed dream.
And because only living nations realize that sovereignty is not granted but seized, the most dangerous moment remains when the awareness of defending independent decision-making fades. As Rousseau said, “People do not lose their freedom all at once; they lose it when they give up their right to decide.” Accordingly, any national project—whether in the arts, production, or politics—will not be complete unless this awareness is deeply rooted and transformed from a slogan into a daily practice and a national will capable of responding.
Wishing you well and good health.
Thursday, April 24, 2025
Shglawi55@gmail.com