The members of Aswat Almadina, once a prominent musical act in Khartoum, are now living in exile as their home country remains locked in a devastating conflict. Founded in 2014, the band gained notoriety for blending local folk with urban pop, eventually becoming UNDP Goodwill Ambassadors.
However, the reality of the nation's instability caught up with them when civil war broke out in April 2023. Band members Timon and Ibrahem Mahmoud recount being in a Khartoum studio when the gunfire began, marking the end of the relative stability they had known.
The conflict, which has resulted in over 150,000 deaths and the displacement of approximately 12 million people, has forced the band members to flee to countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt. While the group continues to collaborate remotely on new music, their story highlights the broader humanitarian crisis gripping Sudan.
The band's history is deeply intertwined with the country's political turbulence, including the 2019 ousting of longtime leader Omar al-Bashir, an event preceded by years of economic austerity and civil unrest.
Today, the members remain separated from their families and their homeland, clinging to their music as they wait for a peace that remains elusive in a nation ravaged by internal warfare.
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