An Unlikely Friendship

Gafar Kangam is a founder of Voices for Sudan (VFS), a U.S.-based coalition of a diverse network of Sudan-led organizations in the Diaspora dedicated to resolving the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. VFS envisions a modern Sudan at peace with itself and its neighbors, where human rights are protected by the government and where sustainable economic development can flourish. His story follows...

Gafar Kangam was born in central Sudan’s Nuba Mountains (Hieban locality). While northern Sudanese had led expeditions to eradicate the people of the Nuba Mountains for decades, in 1988, new coercive policies were adopted under the leadership of Sadig Al-Madi to subjugate and deprive the indigenous Africans in the region. In 1989 under President Bashir, new offenses against the Nuba mounted to a genocidal level. In early the 1990s the government of Bashir declared Jihad on the Nuba in an effort to end a mutiny in the area. During this period, until the signing of Comprehensive Peace Agreement reached between the rebels and the government, people of Nuba were cut off from the rest of the world. The Nuba people lacked the basic means for survival and development such as clinics, fresh water, and educational facilities. Destitution, starvation, and disease remain rampant to this day. Continual attacks from the North and extreme drought have only heightened the suffering of the people of Nuba Mountains.

When Gafar was 11, his village was attacked by soldiers from the North. He and his family were captured and taken from Nuba Mountains by northern army and Arab militiamen where they remained in a military camp for weeks. Gafar and his family were eventually released to live in “peace camps” in Aljazeera state and in Khartoum where he worked long hours while trying to attain an education. In his attempts to flee to the United States, he was twice detained in Lebanon for immigration reasons despite holding refugee status from office of United Nations High Commission for Refugees. He eventually made it to the U.S. where he learned English in a short period of time, thus enabling him to earn a GED and develop office skills. I am currently attending Northern Virginia Community College and plan to attend George Mason University in fall of 2010 to earn Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies, Integrative Studies, B.A.

Gafar first attended the ISP’s LDW in 2009. As a result of mentoring by the ISP, he was introduced to a 2008 LDW participant, Fatah Arman. Fatah is originally from the north of Sudan. Despite many reasons to harbor anger and ill will towards the people of northern Sudan, he was able to make a meaningful connection with Fatah and actually become close friends. Fatah eventually moved to the Washington, D.C. area, where Gafar already lived. The two now work together towards the betterment of Sudanese people in the DC-area through various advocacy and community organizations such as Voices for Sudan.