‘I don’t sleep’: Sudanese man living in P.A. worries for his family back home

“I don’t know how to describe this feeling of sad for people and my family facing such a situation like this.”

He said for family and friends still in Khartoum, the fighting has almost barricaded them in their homes, and they are unable to go out to get food and other necessities. He added roughly 75 per cent of health services, including the hospitals, are out of order.

“The water is cut off; the electricity is cut off. We, over here are feeling very unsettled,” said Abdulmalik.

As more countries try to get their residents out of the capital, both warring sides have agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire. A previous attempt to halt the fighting earlier this month was ignored.

While there is hope the ceasefire will stand this time, Abdulmalik acknowledges it will only be a Band-Aid solution as the fighting has also resulted in break-ins and looting, especially in the capital.

“If you get out of your house, you may get killed or not able to come back. Also, there’s a lot of looting at night,” he said. “At night you might hear that your neighbours are attacked. Anytime somebody could come to your room or house and ask you to give you what you have or kill you. That is still going on.”

One man who has heard of the horrors happening in Sudan is Gord Barnes, a volunteer and fieldworker with Amnesty International Saskatchewan.

He said many Sudanese people living in Saskatchewan suspected another conflict might happen after the War in Darfur ended in 2020.

“Things were deteriorating, and they didn’t really know for sure what was going to happen. Now to see what’s going on in Sudan is tragic in terms of the consequence for the future of the country and the people that are there.”

Barnes is hopeful that there will be a peaceful end to this current rash of fighting but said multiple parties need to be on board.

“I hope that there will be every effort made by the international community to focus pressure on the parties to the conflict in Sudan,” he said. “That every effort will be made to limit their access to weapons and also to bring about some resolution that provides for an opportunity for peace.”

Meanwhile, for Canadians registered in Sudan, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday that a C-17 in the region was prepared to evacuate Canadians in Khartoum. About 58 Canadians were on board a German plane that left the country earlier this week. Global Affairs Canada said there are roughly 1,600 Canadians registered in the country.

As for Abdulmalik, he will be watching every day the events as they unfold but right now, does not appear optimistic that a resolution to the conflict will come quickly.

“There is no hope that it is going to be safe soon in Sudan,” he said.

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derek.craddock@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @princealbertnow

by Derek Craddock

‘I don’t sleep’: Sudanese man living in P.A. worries for his family back home

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