Political Ingratitude

Counselor. Mohamed Elsir Massaad

The relationship between the political leadership and the forces defending the nation—whether soldiers in the field, political leaders, or public opinion leaders who support the legitimacy of the state—is a sacred bond built on mutual trust and appreciation.

However, when this relationship devolves into ingratitude and denial of good deeds, especially from state leaders towards those fighting enemies and rebels, it signals a real catastrophe that threatens the very existence and unity of the state.

Political ingratitude is a contradictory and harmful behavior practiced by state leadership towards patriots. While patriots risk their lives and make immense sacrifices to protect the homeland from enemies and outlaws, such as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) rebels and their supporters, the state leadership proceeds to exclude their national political leaders from consultation and participation in shaping state governance. Conversely, the same leadership shows tolerance and alignment with supporters of the rebels, even seeking to involve them in governing the state.

This situation, in political convention, can be described as high treason or a coup against moral legitimacy. It can also be classified under the concept of negative pragmatism or political opportunism, where short-term interests are prioritized by prolonging the conflict to ensure remaining in power for as long as possible, at the expense of fundamental values and principles such as appreciating sacrifices and maintaining national unity.

Sometimes, this behavior can fall under the guise of humiliating appeasement or suspicious rapprochement, especially if the motive behind aligning with rebel supporters to be part of shaping Sudan's future through consultation or inclusion in governance is the desire to shed obligations towards those who defended the state, because they would pose a threat to those in power, from the perspective of "today's rulers."

The continuation of this state of political ingratitude carries within it the seeds of the state's destruction and can lead to dangerous outcomes.

The most serious of these is the undermining of morale and the disintegration of the internal front. When fighters and their political base feel that their sacrifices are met with denial and that their leadership is marginalized while their enemies are rewarded, it leads to a sharp deterioration in morale. This feeling of betrayal causes them to lose trust in the leadership, potentially leading to the disintegration of the internal front and a decline in the will to defend the state.

The marginalization and weakening of loyal national forces, coupled with the empowerment of rebel supporters, sends a negative message to rebels and those who bear arms against the state in general: that the path of rebellion and violence is the most effective way to achieve political gains.

This encourages them and others to pursue the path of taking up arms (for or against) the state to achieve political, financial, and other gains. This adopted approach will lead to an endless cycle of violence and instability in the state.

All of the above will result in a loss of legitimacy and credibility for the current state leadership. When the leadership ignores the rights of those who defended it and aligns with its enemies' supporters, it gradually loses its legitimacy and credibility in the eyes of the people and loyal forces.

This loss of trust will lead to popular protests, political instability, and perhaps serious attempts to permanently remove the current state leadership from the scene, as happened on April 11, 2019.

Furthermore, the weakening of national forces supporting the state and the empowerment of forces that worked against it negatively impact state institutions, especially the army and security agencies.

This can lead to divisions within these institutions and a decline in their effectiveness, and in the worst-case scenario, their collapse.

Moreover, a weak and divided state becomes vulnerable to external interventions from regional and international powers seeking to achieve their own interests. This intervention further complicates the crisis and leads to instability not only within the state but throughout the entire region.

Political ingratitude by state leaders towards those fighting enemies and rebels is a dangerous behavior that carries within it the destruction of the nation's social and political fabric.

Appreciating sacrifices and involving all national forces in building the future is the only way to preserve the state's unity and stability.

The leaders of the Sovereign Council, especially the military ones, must realize that the supreme interests of the nation transcend any immediate political gains, and that trust between the ruler and the ruled is the foundation for building a strong and prosperous state.