The Kandake Revolution
The Kandake Revolution Mayada Abdo | Presenter, Al Jazeera News Channel
On December 19, 2018, a revolution could have been sparked against Omar al-Bashir’s authoritarian regime, which was ultimately ousted on April 11, 2019. A transitional period then followed in Sudan. In recognition of the role played by the Sudanese women in this uprising, it was termed a ‘Kandake Revolution,’ referring to the sister of the king of Kush (Nubia) who, due to the matrilineal succession, became the queen mother. Women took to the streets and staged long sit-ins despite the security clampdowns. There, I embraced a dual experience: as a Sudanese woman and as a news presenter. I headed straight to Khartoum and ventured out into the streets along with my fellow countrywomen. The editorial department urged me to steer away from imminent risk. However, the spirit of journalism pushed me into the fray. At that time, the Bashir regime was still holding the reins of power. Not only did I cover the event as a journalist, but I also shared the same pains and hopes as my fellow Sudanese. In the thick of it, I interviewed the mother of a fallen protester and another of a missing one. I told the stories of the leading women activists.
As a result of Al Jazeera’s extensive coverage of events, our crew was targeted by groups of paid thugs. The assault was coupled with an online inflammatory campaign by the regime’s trolls. It was a 47-day stint, on every day of which I reported four live positions from the field. We were closely following the grassroots movements along with the political wrangling; talking to all sides, from key politicians to revolutionary leaders. Ultimately the regime was toppled and an interim government was formed. Al Jazeera traced the tragedies perpetrated by the military rule and the violations committed during the revolution. Coinciding with the International Day of the Disappeared, we had a dedicated segment on the missing. It was on the banks of the River Nile, where many of the victims’ bodies were dumped by rogue members of the military. June 13, 2019 was the bloodiest day of the revolution; dozens were killed, hundreds were wounded and many were detained by the ruling military in their crackdown on the pro-democracy sit-in.
According to ‘Initiative for the Missing People’ members, more than 100 Sudanese were ‘missing’. I led extensive search efforts in hospitals, detention centres and even morgues. Ultimately, we managed to account for about 40 of the missing. Al Jazeera showed the story of bereaved mothers, many of whom gave first-person accounts of their agony.
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