Statement about being severely wounded by a Mortar Shell in Khartoum, June 2023, and subsequent Surgery، M. Jalal Hashim

Statement about being severely wounded by a Mortar Shell in Khartoum, June 2023, and subsequent Surgery

M. Jalal Hashim

    Sec Gen

Pan-African Congress – Sudan (PAC-SD)

Member of the Council of the Elders

GLOBAL AFRICAN CONGRESS -uk

Khartoum – 4 June 2023

Dear family members around the world, comrades and friends;

Throughout the last two months of May and June, many of Khartoum’s neighbourhoods became battlegrounds as a direct result of the tactics of the Janjaweed militia (aka Rapid Support Forces- RSF) to make human shields out of civilians by entering residential areas and seizing residences by force and eventually looting them. Furthermore, the Janjaweed recently took to the habit of firing mortar bombs in neighbourhoods with the intention of making people think that they were fired by the SAF (Sudanese Armed Forces). Particularly, after the 3-day truce for humanitarian purposes of 19-22 June, the Janjaweed launched a widescale offensive making use of the truce period to muster their scattered forces and regroup them in certain areas in the capital Khartoum, using the vehicles that they looted from citizens after losing most of their 4X4 Land-Cruisers pickups.

Between the 24th and 25th of June, more than 10 civilians died, and many were wounded with critical and other conditions, in Khartoum southern suburbs along the White Nile that include al-Lamab, al-Shajara, Abu Adam, al-Kalakla neighborhoods, and others. I happened to be in one of these neighbourhoods about a week before June 24, when I was compelled to leave my earlier hideouts on the other parallel part of Khartoum suburbs that run along the Blue Nile, where I used to stay since the breakout of the war in Khartoum, until those parts became heavily populated by elements of the Janjaweed militia fighters, who indulged themselves in looting private and public property, causing mayhem, and terrifying citizens.

I was one of a group of people who were wounded by a mortar shell, in the events mentioned above. That happened at about 4pm, June 24, while I was returning on foot from a failed search for a store with a power generator to recharge my phone (as grid electricity could be out for days at a time, since the war broke out). About 5 mortar bombs blew close to us one after another, with the 6th being very close, and the 7th catching me and others in its diameter.

As I began to regain awareness of what happened, I realized that my knee bone (patella bone) was gone, with the muscles and tendons around it all visible and damaged. Then I realized that the bomb flew me a few meters up in the air to hit a wall with my right shoulder; I found myself covered with sand and dirt all over my body. I looked as if I struggled my way out of my own tomb.

Screams were everywhere, and the people around us, who were not hit, came to our rescue without considering the looming danger on their lives. I was taken with others to the nearest operating hospital. Those who helped could not carry me, so they used a thin mattress that they brought from a nearby house, and put me on a passing tuk-tuk and took me to the nearest hospital (Turkish Hospital, al-Kalakla, near Junction market) where many other injured people were brought just like me and from other parts of same area. As for me, I kept calm and collected enough to make a call for my nephew – who, while in al-Kalakla hideout, knew monitored my stay and was always around to look after me. I did the call with the remaining ~1% or so left in my phone’s battery.

At the hospital, the scene was that of a makeshift battleground clinic. The hall of the hospital was actually used as theatre. Many were critically wounded, and every now and then you can hear suppressed cries as some souls left behind the mortal bodies. The doctors, medics and healthcare workers were mostly volunteering, and they had to act quickly and give priority to critical cases. Those who were receiving treatment varied in age between below 10 years old and 80 years old, males and females; most of them l know each other personally, with most of them members of family. It was a morbid day. But it also showed a lot of courage and solidarity. Everyone there showed solidarity with one another and shared pain and tried their best to raise hope. Those who were attending their relatives did not only focus on their relatives but lent unhesitant assistance to the hospital crew and the patients in need as well.

My case was diagnosed as non-life-threatening, even if my leg ended up being amputated (which could have already been guessed by then). And although I have diabetes, I was OK. The doctors were right in that, and there were much more critical cases than mine. My wound was given basic care and I was transferred to the Orthopedic ward at the 2nd floor to join many other wounded patients. All this happened by while we could still hear bombs exploding all around us.

The next day, as we were waiting to receive the follow-up care under the said circumstances, screams erupted and people were shouting that the Janjaweed militants had stormed the hospital (wearing civilian clothes while carrying automatic weapons). The hospital turned into total chaos with patients and co-patients running at every direction trying to flee the hospital. In the recent past, there were such similar incidents that resulted in mayhem with the hospitals ransacked and some doctors kidnapped. My nephew and the two friends who were with me immediately decided to take me out, not only from the hospital, but out of Khartoum altogether. It was decided that they will transfer me to the city of Wad Medani, capital of the central province (~200 km southeast from Khartoum). My company miraculously managed to arrange a vehicle and agreed on the cost without taking any word from me. One of my two friends, the ringleader of all this, insisted on accompanying me, after competing with my nephew over who should do so. Eventually they both agreed to accompany me.

In Wad Medani, we were received and given help by another friend, who is also a physician, and I was taken to the emergency of the city’s main hospital. I want to emphasize that throughout that journey I was always fortunate to have people who cared for me and gave all they could, in dire circumstances, to make sure I am OK.

After 3 days of care, and a small surgery, in Wad Medani, it was decided that I should move to the city of Sennar (~110 km south of Wad Medani), where I again was under the care of a specialist physician who is a life-long friend, and where it was eventually decided that my right leg had to be amputated from above the knee. We arrived in Sennar in on June, 30 in the evening, and before the afternoon of the next day, the amputation surgery was successfully done.

I am currently recovering, and although my wife and two daughters are in Cairo, I’m having my son beside as a co-patient. however I am surrounded by hundreds of members and close friends besides people who have been following my public activities for almost half a century. There is much to be said, and there are many people to whom I would love to express my gratitude for. Hopefully, I will be able to do more of this when I fully recover.

Long live the people of Sudan

Long live the Sudan, free and independent

Long live the people’s great revolution

And (as per the famous chant of the revolution): Revolution by the people; Power to the people; The military back to the barracks [i.e. civilian rule only], and the Janjaweed [shall be] dismantled!

      MJH

      Sec Gen

Pan-African Congress – Sudan (PAC-SD)

Member of the Council of the Elders

GLOBAL AFRICAN CONGRESS -uk

Sennar, Sudan, July 4, 2023