Over the past couple of years, the Sudanese government illegally detained many political activists, opposition party members, anti-NCP revolutionaries, students and journalists who spoke up against injustice. What happens to these detainees at national security prisons or “Ghost Houses” is incomprehensible and beyond any sane person’s mental capacity.
In mid-December, Alim stood in front of a podium at the University of Khartoum and courageously confronted Nafie Ali Nafie for his crimes against the Sudanese people. He spoke up for you, me and the millions of Sudanese citizens who are struggling day to day to put bread on the table, find jobs and live a well-deserved respectful life. He voiced some of the frustrations we are facing because of the current government, and confronted Nafie and co for their corruption.
For three majestic minutes, Alim was the voice of every oppressed Sudanese person who ever endured a hardship in their life while watching the government privilege its own members and their families by generously offering them money, jobs, and perks earned with the blood and sweat of the average Sudanese people like they were theirs to give.
Despite being arrested and tortured several times by national security, Alim always dusted himself off and fought back. His last attempt earned him another arrest, but it also earned him the eyes and ears of regular Sudanese citizens. The video where he confronted Nafie received over 230,000 views on YouTube and circulated all over Facebook and Twitter. A Facebook page was created in solidarity with him and has over 1,000 members.
As many Sudanese people frequently choose to ignore such cases and go on about their daily lives in a state of denial, one case that indubitably deserves their attention is the case of Mohamed Hassan Alim, better known as Boushi.
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| Mohamed Hassan Alim, aka Boushi |
For three majestic minutes, Alim was the voice of every oppressed Sudanese person who ever endured a hardship in their life while watching the government privilege its own members and their families by generously offering them money, jobs, and perks earned with the blood and sweat of the average Sudanese people like they were theirs to give.
On December 26, 2011 Alim was arrested from his home while his mother watched as the police took him. He was taken to an undisclosed location and remains in the custody of national security.
Alim is a regular Sudanese citizen, like you and me, with a degree in Engineering who has been struggling for the past four years to find a job despite his qualifications. Like you and me, he is frustrated, fed up, angry. Unlike you and me, he fought his powerlessness and converted it into heroism by challenging the government and voicing what you, me and millions of Sudanese people are feeling but are unable to express.
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| "Freedom for Boushi". The NCP made a weak attempt to conceal the statement |
There was no statement explaining the arrest of Alim; but we can only guess that his speech angered Nafie and other high profile governmental officials.
Alim’s freedom is our demand, and his blood is not only in Nafie’s hands, it’s in ours as well if we don’t speak up and demand his protection and his immediate release.
In a world where chivalry is dead and cowardice is spread like a viral disease, Alim stands out and is labeled Sudan’s Bouazizi.
The issues Alim took up with Nafie relate to corruption and favoritism… does this earn him an abduction and justify why his mother has to suffer not knowing his whereabouts, what is being done to him and if he will ever be released?
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I keep wondering when and how it will all end. Will it be like Tunisia and Egypt where people rallied till they brought them down? Or will it be like Libya where everyone just picked up a gun and walked out into the desert? It doesn't look like it will be either, we'll just be sitting around complaining about the heat and the prices and the government and do nothing about it. I wish I was Mohd Hassan Alim; at least konta itfasheit shwaya before being dragged underground.
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