Stories from the Heart of the Battlefield On the Threshold of Waiting: Stories of Families Searching for Their Missing| Sudanow Magazine

Khartoum – Sudanow

Wars are not measured solely by the numbers of the wounded and the dead; they are also measured by the silent voids they leave in the hearts of the living. These voids are created by forced absence, when a person becomes an unknown number or a name suspended between hope and despair. As Sudan’s war enters its fourth year, one of its most painful tragedies continues to unfold: the issue of missing persons, which grows increasingly complex and widespread with each passing day.

Thousands of families live under the weight of agonizing uncertainty and harsh realities. There are grieving mothers, patient yet heartbroken fathers, anxious wives, worried sisters, and children waiting desperately for a glimmer of hope that might bring back the loved ones who vanished without a trace.

Amid this painful reality, Sudanow visited families of missing persons in an effort to convey their message to the international community and its governmental and voluntary organizations, appealing to them in the name of humanity to assist in the search for the missing and mobilize all available resources to reunite them with their families and restore joy to their loved ones. Through its initiative aimed at documenting the scale of their suffering and amplifying their voices, Sudanow continues to engage with families of the missing.

He Left Home and Never Returned

The first story comes from the family of Mohammed Saleh Yaqoub Sayed Mohammed Saleh, a 23-year-old resident of Sheikh Al-Tayeb area, north of Omdurman.

His brother told Sudanow that Mohammed disappeared on 16 November 2023 after leaving home as usual. He never returned, and since that day the family has been unable to determine his whereabouts or fate, despite more than two years having passed since his disappearance.

He added that the family has exhausted every possible avenue in searching for him but has obtained no information that could reveal his location or explain the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.

A Mother Waiting for Her Youngest Son

In another story, Al-Samani Abdel Karim, cousin of the missing Al-Makki Omar Haj Al-Toum Babiker, recounted the details of his disappearance.

Al-Makki, a 21-year-old young man from the city of Umm Rawaba in Kordofan State, went missing before the army entered the city. Since then, his family has endured severe psychological hardship, especially his mother, who shared an exceptionally close bond with him.

According to his cousin, Al-Makki lost his father when he was only one year old. As the youngest of his siblings and the child closest to his mother, he accompanied her in her daily life and responsibilities. This deep attachment has made his disappearance particularly devastating for her.

Despite the prolonged absence and the lack of any information regarding his fate, his mother continues to live between grief and anticipation, holding firmly onto hope that he will one day return.

Two Brothers Disappeared on the Same Day

In another heartbreaking case, a family lost two of its sons on the same day from inside their home in Al-Thawra District, Block 38, in Omdurman’s Karari locality, on Wednesday, 17 May 2023.

The first missing person is Aqeel Al-Fadni Youb Naim, born in 1968 and employed as a civil servant.

His family says that from the moment of his arrest, they never ceased searching for him. During his detention in the Riyadh area of Khartoum, they were able to communicate with him by phone and through WhatsApp.

The family further explained that approximately one month before the army regained control of Khartoum, detainees were transferred to the city of Nyala. Since that time, all information regarding his whereabouts has ceased.

They also reported being repeatedly targeted by individuals who claimed they could secure his release. Several sums of money were transferred in exchange for promises of freedom, but none of those promises were fulfilled, and no new information about his fate was obtained.

The second missing person is his brother, Sheikh Naim Abdel Qader Al-Sheikh, born in 1983. He worked in Halaib Market in Al-Thawra Block 29 and lived in a rented house in Al-Thawra Block 49.

According to family accounts, Sheikh Naim was arrested alongside his brother Aqeel after finding himself near the vehicle in which Aqeel was being taken. When he asked the group escorting Aqeel about their destination and the reason for taking him, he was beaten and subsequently taken away with his brother.

The family confirms that both brothers have been missing ever since, with no trace of either of them. They continue to endure unrelenting anxiety and pain as the wait for answers stretches on.

Stories Without End

These stories represent only a small fraction of the suffering endured by thousands of Sudanese families who have lost loved ones during the war. The list of missing persons continues to grow daily, and Sudanow remains committed to publishing their stories in the hope that someone, somewhere, may provide information that helps uncover their fate or bring them home.

Through its platforms, Sudanow renews its appeal to all international, regional, and national organizations, human rights associations, and bodies concerned with prisoners’ and missing persons’ rights to view these grieving families with compassion and responsibility. These families continue to cling to a fragile thread of hope that their loved ones will return.

Conclusion

The issue of missing persons is one of the most urgent humanitarian concerns facing Sudan today. It demands immediate and serious action from the international community, human rights organizations, and all entities committed to protecting human dignity and fundamental rights.

The continuation of enforced disappearances does not merely deprive families of their loved ones; it also threatens the social fabric and deepens wounds that may become increasingly difficult to heal over time.

As these families continue to hope for answers and for the safe return of their sons, daughters, husbands, and brothers, the humanitarian and moral obligation remains clear: efforts must be intensified to uncover the fate of the missing, end the agony of waiting, and restore justice to those affected—so that absence does not become an endless destiny with no conclusion.

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