The October 1964 Revolution

Adnan Zahir: The October 1964 Revolution. 'Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.' – Martin Luther King Jr. It has been said that October is the month of revolutions. I do not know how applicable this is to historical reality, but I firmly believe the popularity of the saying is linked to the occurrence of the most significant revolutions of the year, namely the Russian October Revolution of 1917, which changed the face of the world and established a new system: the socialist system. The Sudanese people have carried out three successive revolutions, but the most important of them is the October 21, 1964 revolution. The importance of this revolution stems from the fact that it paved the way for the revolutions that followed, and it established important foundations for revolutions in Sudan. I do not want to say that it added something new to the science of revolution, but it simply confirmed that the unity of peoples in broad fronts topples even the most brutal dictatorships; I refer here to the 'Front of Associations' at that time. Also, not far from memory is the December 19, 2018 revolution, which toppled the most hideous of dictatorships in the world—the dictatorship of Omar al-Bashir and his cohorts from the Muslim Brotherhood—after they dominated the necks of the Sudanese for thirty years. I write these historical fragments about the October 21 revolution not only because I participated in its events, but because it was the beginning of my involvement in public affairs, entering the fray of politics, which has since become inseparable from my life. The year was 1964, the year I enrolled in high school. I was initially accepted into the Ahliya Secondary School in Omdurman, but I later transferred to Al-Mu'tamar School because the former was far from Al-Mourada, where I lived. I was fortunate in that change, because that school, under the era of the brilliant headmaster Al-Tayeb Shubayka, had become a cultural beacon illuminating the sky of Omdurman. At that specific time, there was a growing swell against the regime of the dictator Abboud. On my part, and at that early age, the injustice of the dictatorial regime had touched my family; my brother Anwar Zahir was arrested, and the authorities deported him along with others to the town of 'Nagshout' in the south of the country, then later brought him before a military court that sentenced him to several years in prison. Therefore, when the revolution started, I participated in it as one of those directly touched by that dictatorial authority with its arrogance and tyranny. 2 In those days, we were interested in news, especially the news of the University of Khartoum students, and we learned of a seminar discussing the problem of Southern Sudan. When the seminar began, Abboud's authority opened fire on those present, and Ahmed al-Qurashi Taha, a student at the Faculty of Science, fell as a martyr. That was a motive for us to go out and demonstrate. The goal of the Al-Mu'tamar students' demonstration was to go to the Omdurman Secondary School for Girls to urge them to come out, then go with them to Khartoum to join the University of Khartoum students. But when the demonstration crossed the Abu Anja bridge, we found the police waiting for us near the 'Al-Kahlawi Kiosk' opposite the 'Al-Gandoul' garden. They then began throwing tear gas canisters at us; some of us would pick up the canisters and throw them back at the police gatherings, then we dispersed into small groups throughout the area. The second demonstration came out from the school, and we crossed the Omdurman or White Nile bridge. At the site of today's 'Friendship Hall'—which in those days was the site of a large private garden where fruit was grown—the police intercepted us and, as usual, threw tear gas at the demonstration. I remember among the participants and my later friends were Omar Abdul-Qadir Bashir and the late Mutawakkil Khalid Omar; coincidentally, they joined the armed forces, graduated from the Military College, and reached the highest ranks. After that, I participated in the demonstration on Palace Street, Abdul-Munim Square, and the 'Night of the Barricades' when Farouk Abu Eissa broadcast a statement over the radio calling on the masses to take to the streets to protect the revolution from a coup being prepared. The October 21 revolution triumphed after the martyrdom of 39 people, including three from Southern Sudan: Lawrence Dimitry, Mabior Ashol, and Daqin Jok. 3 Those are memories from sixty-two years ago, but they are still etched in my memory despite forgetting some details, which in my opinion is normal. I do not believe the greatness of the October Revolution came only from it being the first revolution in Sudan to topple a fascist regime, but because it became a symbol for Sudan's revolutions and established values, principles, ways, and methods for the success of revolutions, namely: sacrificing one's soul for the sake of the victory of justice, the unity of the masses under a large umbrella, and choosing the appropriate time and proposing appropriate slogans. I address this memory while keeping in mind the preparation and mobilization to remove the dictatorship currently sitting on our chests, guided by the experiences and inheritance of three revolutions carried out by the great Sudanese people. Adnan Zahir, October 15, 2026. 1 – Al-Ayyam Newspaper, Issue 8338, October 30, 2005 – Professor Taj al-Sir Makki – Abdul-Qadir Ismail Ahmed. elsadati2008@gmail.com The post The October 1964 Revolution appeared first on Sudanile.