On June 3rd, 2019, Mohammad Mattar's goal was to go in the streets of Khartoum to protest the injustices inflicted on his people by the Sudanese government; Mohammad met the end of his fate instead, but not in vain. His death sparked the #BlueForSudan movement on social media.
Since December 2018, Sudanese people all over the world have been protesting and advocating for a true and fair democracy. Violence and civil unrest is nothing new for Sudan — in 1983, a civil war erupted between the North and the South, creating an opportunity for (now former president) Omar Al Bashir to orchestrate a coup. What followed was 30 years of tyranny, under which multiple crimes like rape and slaughter were practically normalized.
Every revolution over the years has been documented. One of the most recent ones was led by Alaa Salah, a 22-year-old Sudanese student. You might have seen the picture of a young woman dressed in white, addressing a crowd while standing on a car. The image went viral for multiple reasons, but mainly because of the powerful message it sent: women imposing their role in society and refusing to stay quiet in the face of crisis.
On April 11th, Omar Al Bashir was removed from office by the Sudanese military forces. It was a short win for the protestors, however, the Transitionary Military Council (TMC) started negotiations with the protesters, who called for "immediate and unconditional" resignation of the TMC and the appointment of a civilian-led transitional government until free and fair elections were held. The negotiations turned sour and turned into a bloodbath with targeted rape towards women and men and the murder of more than 200 people.
The TMC has disabled the Internet in Sudan, leaving the protestors cut off from the world. Massacres are ongoing, and bodies are being pulled out of the Nile River. The United Nations has decided to pull itself out of Sudan. There is little to no media coverage of what is currently happening in Sudan. This is our opportunity to use our social media platforms to raise awareness. GoFundMe pages have been set up, and support pages, as well. Do not let this go unnoticed. Sudan deserves as much attention as Notre Dame.
