{"id":28057,"date":"2023-10-23T09:13:06","date_gmt":"2023-10-23T07:13:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/themarkaz.org\/oldmarkaz\/?p=28057"},"modified":"2023-10-23T09:13:06","modified_gmt":"2023-10-23T07:13:06","slug":"ode-to-khartoum-a-city-riven-by-civil-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themarkaz.org\/oldmarkaz\/ode-to-khartoum-a-city-riven-by-civil-war\/","title":{"rendered":"Ode to Khartoum\u2014a City Riven by Civil War"},"content":{"rendered":"
The first Sudanese civil war flickered on and off from 1955 to 1972. A second civil war ignited in 1983 and rumbled into 2005. Now, following last year’s Blue Nile clashes, a new outbreak began in April between government forces, the SAF, and a paramilitary group, the RSF. Other factions have since joined in. Ordinary Sudanese, meanwhile, are leaving, while others are returning to try to save the country.<\/h5>\n

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Dallia Abdel-Moniem<\/h5>\n

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Khartoum works and moves at its own pace. It is a sprawling city made up of the triumvirate of Omdurman, Bahri, and old Khartoum. Each part of the triumvirate has its own unique characteristics; they are separate yet joined at the seams by its inhabitants and the long snaking arm of the Nile River. Omdurman is the original capital, and Khartoum is\/was the new one that has expanded with the construction of new neighborhoods. To reach either Omdurman, Bahri or Khartoum we have to cross bridges, such that each is seen as its own city within a city.<\/p>\n

My home city is warm and welcoming yet notoriously selfish and harsh, and when temperatures hit the 50 Celsius mark and no shade is found, it can be unforgiving. Deeply misunderstood and unknown by the outside world, if you peel away the layers there is so much depth and the city offers hidden gems. We Sudanese all surged to it, seeking and making a home amongst its broken roads, worn-down infrastructure, and unforgiving temperament. It welcomed millions from myriad backgrounds, those seeking refuge and a better life.<\/p>\n