Mayarim (Princesses) of El-Fashir … Carrying Weapons and Preparing Provisions

Report: Ali Mansour

The history of Sudan is full of many heroic models established by Sudanese women. They are the ones who made the country’s glories, gave birth to unique individuals, and played major role in the national movement since independence. The Sudanese woman is the mother of men and the sister of the struggling heroes who watered the soil of Sudan with their pure blood for its freedom and dignity. Woman also contributed to the development of her country since ancient times until the names of some women became lofty patriotic and nationalist symbols. What is Azzah Al-Khalil, with which poets symbolized the entire nation, is nothing but evidence of the status of Sudanese women in the hearts of all Sudanese. We rarely find a country in the world that is symbolized by the name of one of its women. There is Mehaira Bint Abboud, and before them the (Kandakas) such as Amanirenas, Amanishakheto, Amani Terry, and Nawi Damak among the legends of the Kingdom of Kush.

Al-Mairam (Princess) in Darfur

The history of women in Darfur is a unique case in itself that dictates study and learning from it. It is not an emergency case, but rather is deeply rooted from ancient times. Women have a distinguished position; they have their power, prestige, and responsibility boundaries that are deeply rooted in history since the establishment of the Sultanate, in harmony and accord with their independent wealth and unalienable will that reached the Sultanate’s court to the point that the Sultan’s sister had her own army. On the day of the parade, she would appear on her horse, advancing the ranks to the right of the Sultan, amidst her entourage and pageantry. Although she was not crowned absolute Sultana, her influence and impact were almost equal to the influence of the Sultan himself in the court, and she was called (Aya Basi), which is the title of the princess mother. In the Sultanate, the Mayarim had important roles and represented the centers of power in the Sultanate. They participated in the major decision-making processes in the state and attended military battles.

Al-Mayarim … Carrying Weapons

What most motivated Al-Mayarim, Sarah and her sisters, to carry weapons was that women were subjected to all kinds of oppression and brutality. The weapon of rape and harassment was used to tame them, which made their struggle more intense. Among these fighters, Sarah Ismail, Umm Faris (Faris mother), who joined the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army in 2004, in the movement’s secret office and fought many military battles within the Minni Arko Minawi movement. Sarah is a fierce mairam, fighting in the front lines, and the battle of El-Fashir came to write in gold ink a story of great heroism to contribute to the liberation of the electricity market with her sisters, such as Aisha Nour. Bright Pages of the Struggles of Sudanese Eve. Among the women who participated with comrade Sarah Ismail in the battle of El-Fashir, Al-Mairam Khadija Abdullah Abkar Osman, the widow of the martyr Mohamed Shawgar Nahar, a martyr of the battle of Baram in 2004, and then the widow of the late Mubarak Shawgar Nahar, a member of the military office of the Sudan Liberation Movement in South Darfur.
Umm Hala Jabir and Major General Aisha Nour also stood out, writing the meaning of courage, sacrifice and redemption. A society whose women advance in the front lines must win.

Gadah Al-Mayarim

Gadah Al-Mairam is a dish of food of a woman proficient in cooking. It is a dish of local food that is skillfully made and carried by women on their heads to be presented to guests on public and private occasions to show generosity and high skill in the art of cooking. It is considered one of the most important requirements for which a Darfuri woman is granted the title of Mairam. Therefore, Al-Mayarim did not abandon their traditions during the war. They provided (Gadah Al-Mayarim) to the fighters and the internal displaced persons (IDPs). In the Tawila area, they received the IDPs from a distance of more than three kilometers and they did not fail to provide food.