Wafaa Atbara .. The picket train returns to the cradle of Sudan's revolution in its first anniversary

Ahmed Fadl-Atbara

Crowds of Sudanese in the city of Atbara, in north-eastern Sudan, received the revolutionary train from the capital, Khartoum, to receive the conquerors. Despite the continuing suffering from economic conditions, the residents of the city from which the spark of the Sudanese revolution originated say that freedom is invaluable, and they can be optimistic about a better tomorrow.

On Thursday afternoon, the rebel train entered the city of Atbara, coinciding with the first anniversary of the revolutionary movement that exploded from that city on December 19, 2018.

Since the morning, the Atbara Industrial School, from which the protests sparked, has turned into a shrine for students and citizens of the city to remember that day when they burned the headquarters of the ruling National Congress Party as a symbol of tyranny.

The protests that broke out from this city eventually led to the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir on April 11.

An exceptional trip
The train carried hundreds of revolutionaries and aircraft, led by Muhammad Naji Al-Asam, from the Sudanese Professionals Caucus, which was at the forefront of the revolutionary movement, and the Minister of Youth and Sports Walaa Al-Boushi.

The train journey from Khartoum to Atbara continued for about ten hours, although it usually does not exceed five hours, because the train had to stop frequently on the way, especially in the Shendi and Damer stations.

The revolutionaries revived the beloved chant in the cradle of the revolution, when the demonstrators chanted a year ago, "I shone, shone ... Atbara is torn."

After the train reached the main train station in Atbara, the revolutionaries continued their way in processions to the east of the city, where a sit-in square was established to simulate the sit-in that took place in front of the army command in Khartoum, which was forcibly removed on 3 June.

And this train had already given the revolution the momentum when it made its journey in the other direction to reach the sit-in field in front of the General Command of the army on April 23 last.

Once again, the Atbara train overlooked the rebels of Khartoum, bearing the hopes of the revolution, and its arrival coincided with the final signing ceremony for the transitional period documents on August 17.

Masses of Sudanese took to the streets on Thursday to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the revolutionary movement that brought down Omar al-Bashir after a thirty-year rule. Thousands participated in ceremonial marches in several cities, while the army closed the roads leading to its headquarters in Khartoum.

Happiness despite the suffering
Although a year has passed since the revolution sparked the high price of bread, without economic problems finding their way to a solution, the people of Atbara seem happy with their salvation from the previous regime.

Al-Baqir Hassan Farah (70 years) says to Al-Jazeera Net that freedom is invaluable, after they have been pent up for thirty years, adding, "Now there is hope despite the suffering ... I was afraid that I would die without attending the demise of Bashir's rule."

Fatima Abdel Moneim, 68, shows her happiness, saying that she prejudiced herself to attend the Sudanese celebration of the revolution that started from her city.

Fatima notes that the situation is better than before, although people in Atbara are asking for more, "but at least the medicines that I take constantly are in pharmacies."

As for Mohamed Wadaa Allah (40 years), he says that the situation will definitely improve, and that the Sudanese can live in the well-being, because the previous regime controlled the goods and gains of the country.

Anniversary echo
Before the arrival of the train, the square north of the Atbara Industrial Secondary School witnessed a stampede for citizens and students, as the same place witnessed this morning a year ago a demonstration for students protesting the doubling of the price of bread.

Like the exit of the students of this school on that day, the fuse that sparked the revolution, before the students of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of the Nile Valley and neighboring the school took the lead and organized the protests that turned into an unruly demonstration that burned the headquarters of the National and Local Congress Party (City Council).

"We went out last year when we were surprised that the price of the bean sandwich had increased from 7 pounds to 15 pounds," said Ayman Emad, from the Industrial School.

"We staged a sit-in on the main street, and when the number of protesters from other schools and citizens increased, we went out in a demonstration, which the security services could not confront, because of its large size," he added.

Hopes and challenges
On that day, the police and the security apparatus were unable to deal with the demonstrators despite burning the headquarters of the ruling party at the time and the local offices, but with the demonstrations continuing for two days, the security services had to confront them.

On December 21, 2018, the first victim was killed in Atbara, Tariq Ahmed al-Talib, in the final year of the Faculty of Engineering at Wadi Nile University.

His sister, Ibtisam, tells Al-Jazeera Net that she hopes that the sacrifices and blood of the revolutionaries will not go unheeded, because the revolution was great and is still in the hearts of the people of Atbara.

She points out that although some problems remain, the government is still at the beginning of the road and there is still time to complete its tasks.

Despite the formation of the transitional government at the federal level, Leila Ali Othman of the Professionals Association in Atbara says that the change must extend to the military rulers in the states.

And she asserts that the bread that was a spark for the protests a year ago is not a problem now, because the "resistance committees" in the neighborhoods control the control of flour shares in bakeries.