Readers will need no reminder that the war has now been raging in Sudan for two years. Like many we made a plea at Eid two years ago that the combatants draw back from disaster and end the war. This Eid, with great sadness, we urgently repeat our plea. Those risks we identified in 2023 - of countless lives lost, of critical infrastructure destroyed and heritage institutions damaged and looted - all these have come to pass in almost every region of the country. The war is also now destabilising neighbouring countries, such as South Sudan, millions have been displaced from their homes, a growing famine threatens further devastation, and a generation's education and promise of a fulfilling future is at risk.

What we could not fully anticipate in 2023 was the resilience and bravery of extraordinary ordinary civilians in communities across the country who have taken on the duties of responsibilities of the state themselves, feeding the hungry, healing the wounded and the sick, and teaching the children. We pay tribute to all those working and sacrificing for others amidst all the danger and destruction and equally underscore the need for their protection from harm. Together they represent a precious victory for humanity that will be remembered for generations.

SSSUK is a non-governmental charitable organisation with a Sudanese, South Sudanese and international membership; our members seek to make the history and culture of Sudan and South Sudan better known and understood. Our Society continues to stand back from engagement in politics, but we again take this moment of Eid to encourage belligerents to pause and look for political solutions; only these will end this war and create a sustainable peace. Recent developments on the ground seem to trend toward more clearly demarcated zones of military control. A resultant breathing space from the fighting may ensue, and in which case we strongly urge each side to seize the moment to engage with the civilian organisations who have sustained Sudan’s citizens through the long war, and set out a pathway towards civilian rule that offers hope to a nation and its friends abroad. 

Sudan has a rich history and diverse and resilient cultural traditions that have and can again sustain peace in disturbed times. As we celebrate Eid we ask you to pray for peacemakers and for peace.

Eid Mubarak.