‘Sudan needs me in this tough hour’

Dehradun: Among the 15 foreign officer cadets commissioned at Saturday’s Passing out Parade (POP) at the IMA in Dehradun was Altahir Abdulhafyz Altahir, 23, from Sudan — a country currently ravaged by a devastating civil war.Altahir was the sole cadet from his country to pass out from the IMA to be commissioned as an officer in the Sudanese army. Despite having a sense of worry over the situation back home, Altahir was wearing a calm smile on his face at the event as he claimed to be “finally realising his childhood dream of joining the Army”.“My dream was shaped by the sights of my maternal grandfather donning the uniform before retiring as Maj Gen from the Sudanese Army,” said Altahir.Fifth among his six siblings, he informed that his family could not come down to witness one of the proud moments of his life due to the ongoing civil war.“Yes, I’m a bit sad about it, but I spoke to them over phone on Friday about the big day and they all were very happy. Having said that, I feel immensely fortunate to get commissioned as an officer as this is the time when my country needs me the most,” said Altahir, adding that he would be assigned the regiment by the Sudanese Army once he returns to his homeland.“I’ll serve my country with all I can.”