‘Living away from home is stressful’: Sudanese diaspora looks beyond the war
Speaking to Ismail Akwei on Global South Conversations, Dr Ahmed shared his personal journey from Sudan to the United States and reflected on the conflict that has reshaped the lives of millions in his home country.
Sudan has been in deep crisis since April 2023, when fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced more than 12 million people, including 8.6 million within Sudan. Many more are seeking safety in neighbouring countries like Chad, Egypt, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Ethiopia.
However, millions of Sudanese professionals are fighting against this conflict in their own way, miles away from their home country.
One of them is Dr Suliman Ahmed, who has worked as a paediatrician in Saudi Arabia, a medical interpreter in the U.S., where he is based, a health insurance broker and now the founder and CEO of Dr Suliman Advisory Group.
Speaking to Ismail Akwei on Global South Conversations, Dr Ahmed shared his personal journey from Sudan to the United States and reflected on the conflict that has reshaped the lives of millions in his home country.
He recalled his childhood years in Sudan despite being born in Yemen to Sudanese parents who were both physicians. He returned to Khartoum for medical school, and although he grew up mostly in Saudi Arabia, he said Sudan shaped his earliest memories.
“I spent the first two years or the first few years of my life in Sudan communicating with my aunties, uncles, a lot of friends. And I even went to the first grade school and the preschool. So I spent a good time in there and I have a lot of memories. I carry a lot of love to my grandma who passed in 1998 or 1999. And I had actually a very colourful, prosperous memory. Sudan was doing good. Sudan really was doing good,” he said.
For Sudan to feel like home again, Dr Ahmed said three things must happen: “Maintain national unity and prevent further fragmentation, exclude perpetrators of civilian atrocities from future political processes, and hold those responsible for destruction accountable and mobilise funds for reconstruction.”
He believed Sudan has the intellectual capacity to rebuild, but not the resources. “Sudanese people are capable of making the country stand again,” he said. “All we need is funding to actualise our ideas.”
He shared the hope of one day retiring in Sudan, once peace returns. “Living among your people… is a blessing. I see myself retiring in Sudan,” he said.
He acknowledged the works of community groups such as the Sudanese American Physicians Association (SAPA), which has been providing medical support to hospitals inside Sudan. “They had a tangible impact… raising funds for medical centres, helping trauma patients move to Egypt, Germany, the US, and the UK,” he said.
“All of them feel the tragedy… everyone is trying to donate, to help, to alleviate the misery... We are generous by default. If we utilise this momentum and turn it into practical plans, we can make a great impact,” he added.
To those still living through the war, he offered encouragement: “Stay your ground, don’t lose hope… we will go through this all together.”
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
