Hamid was already an accomplished writer and activist when he started his PhD at the Global Development Institute at the University of Manchester, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) of the UK. His PhD project centred on the role of pro-democracy grassroots movements in political transitions, and his case study were the resistance committees in Sudan. His decision to make something close to his own political activism - as a former member of his local resistance committee - the subject of theoretical inquiry was a challenge. He mastered this extremely well and with competence applied a critical analytical lens to the resistance committees, their emergence and formation; mobilisation practices; legitimacy; coalition building; transitions and internal and external challenges. He did so with clear linkages to the wider literature on political change from below, making his study very relevant beyond the actual case of Sudan and other bottom-up movements like those that emerged in the Arab spring. At the time of his death, he had completed his qualitative fieldwork in the form of 50 extensive interviews with grassroot movement members and other political actors in Sudan and in exile and had developed key categories for the analysis of those interviews that spoke to and challenged debates in the wider literature.

Through this work he would have been very well placed to contribute to a new politics and a better future for Sudan and his community, but also to addressing global challenges for grassroots politics and bottom-up political movements - a real future leader. It was a joy working with him, and supervising meetings always consisted of lively discussions about the issues in question, in which we all had our positions challenged and questioned.

Before joining us in Manchester, Hamid had already established himself as a leading analyst on Sudan's political transition and had also demonstrated academic excellence. During his Masters at Bradford, he wrote an exceptional dissertation, which won him the UK Development Studies Association's Best Dissertation Prize. Over the years, it has been a privilege to work alongside him and to be continually inspired by his dedication to bringing academic rigor into his political activism. Hamid's intellectual development has sharpened his academic and political contributions, making his voice central in shaping discussions of how to build peace, justice and democracy in Sudan.

Hamid won extremely competitive Economic and Research Council funding to pursue his PhD with us at the University of Manchester's Global Development Institute. Consistently committed to linking his academic work to his practice, his thesis focused on analysing the role of grassroots movements in political transitions, particularly in relation to Sudan's resistance committees. The working title of his thesis was 'Political Transitions in Africa: The Quest for Democratic Governance, and the Role of Grassroots Movements in Sudan.' During the second year of his PhD, he conducted more than 50 interviews based on fieldwork in Kenya, Uganda and Egypt, as well as interviews with key stakeholders in Sudan. The rich depth of empirical data he has collected was complemented by extensive theoretical analysis, which placed the experience of Sudan's resistance committees in relation to similar movements in the Middle East and North Africa.

Hamid's research was always marked by humility and optimism, with a dedicated commitment to amplifying other Sudanese voices in discussions of Sudan. The coming years would have seen his PhD research only enhance these and other contributions while also inspiring discussions of how grassroots movements in other countries could build more equal and peaceful societies. It has been an honour to be Hamid's supervisor. He has inspired me, as he has so many others. And his work will continue to shape the fight for justice and more equitable societies globally. And crucially for Hamid: in his homeland, Sudan.

Inna lilahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un… Inna lilahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un… Inna lilahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un… Last summer in Nairobi, a friend turned to me and told me that he is tired of that being the only thing he utters anymore. But how could he really be upset, he said, given that there is nothing else left to say amidst all of the loss that we as Sudanese people are surrounded by. May Allah ease our collective pain. I am gutted and stunned by your departure Hamid. My mind cannot comprehend that you are really gone, and all that I can say when I force myself to reckon with it is to God we belong and to God we return. You were the one who told me about Muzan's passing, and exactly two weeks later I receive a call to hear of your own transition into the next life…

Inna lilahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un… I cannot look at photos of your smile. It is too painful. In 13 days, it will mark a year since we first met in Beirut. I knew instantly how special you were and I thanked Nisrin Elamin for sending us both to this conference that allowed me to finally meet you, and I told her that meeting you was the best part of it all… It's funny after spending a week together exploring Beirut, discussing politics, remembering Sudan, seeing your beautiful friendship with your dear friend Hussein, I felt the urge to cry when we said goodbye to each other. I needed to meet you when I did. You showed me that there was no limit to the kindness, generosity, boundless intelligence, charisma, and dignity that one could have…You did it all with ease and humility. There really are precious ones amongst us that remind us that good people with pure hearts and truly radical imaginations exist. You remind me of home, of our neighborhood Al-Safia, because you carried the warmth that emanates from every corner of it. When we finally met in person, I wished it had happened so much sooner. Now, I can only be grateful for the time I had with you and that I ever got to know you at all. Alhamdulliah for Allah's gifts and his mercy.

Inna lilahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un … You told me that Beirut felt familiar to you because you could feel that war happened there too. It was healing to see Beirut through your eyes and memorialize Khartoum with you; you absorbed the world with so much wonder, curiosity, and marvel. You were sensitive, intuitive, and had an infinite intellectual curiosity that translated into everything you did. It was no shock to me; I had read your work for so long—since a little before the war began—and I had come to know you as being a prolific thinker and writer. But to see it up close, to experience all your beauty as your friend, was the privilege of a lifetime my dearest Hamid.

The study of Sudanese politics and history is marred with smokescreens and distractions. But knowing you, hearing you talk about the intricacies of the revolution and its demands, defiantly naming all of the actors and opportunists who stole it from the people, dissipating the ideological fog that had subsumed the counterrevolution, I was in awe and in relief. You were such a bright intellect my dearest Dr. Hamid, a natural teacher and orator. I knew that as long as we had you, as long as your sharp analysis and your ethical commitment to the revolution and to Sudanese people would keep cutting through the noise, we would be okay. Whenever a political development did not make sense to me, which was typical given that the situation in Sudan changes on daily basis, Hamid was the first person I would go to for clarity, and he always had it. I thank God we had people like yourself and Muzan to guide us and serve as our moral compass. You were both steadfast in your love and dedication to Sudan, and today all of Sudan mourns the loss of the most beautiful and brilliant amongst us. We will forever be lost with you and your smile Dr. Hamid.

I've been reminiscing a lot about our days in Beirut with Wini, Hussein, Mat, and all the other lovely people we met on what was truly the most profound journeys I have embarked on. In getting to know you, I also saw how so many others loved you and cared for you. You were a friend to so many, and the source of deep belly laughs and warm gatherings. You always brought people into your world, never shutting them out. The love you had to share was so expansive and limitless I wondered how a person could be so giving, but that was just who you are my friend. There is truly no one like you, and your loss has left a gaping hole in my heart that can never be filled.

I wish I had cried, hugged you tight, and told you how special you were when we left Beirut. You shone in that city, seeing light where there was darkness, and it was clear to me how much you missed our beloved Khartoum. You had no qualms about unabashedly loving a city struck by so much devastation and grief, one that so many people had given up hope on, and I pictured you doing the same in Al-Safia. You have a tender grace about the way you move through the world, and I know you would do everything in your power to repair what remained in Khartoum with love and commitment. I just wish you had the chance to go there one last time before you passed. You deserved to see Khartoum, to get the closure that you may have needed to make peace with everything that has transpired since 2023, to go to your family home, to recover your photographs…You deserved so much more my friend and Khartoum will always be missing you. My heart finds comfort in the fact that your final resting place will be there, however, and I pray that your beautiful soul finds rest and peace in your new home in Jannat-ul Firdaus. Inshallah.

Inna lilahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un… October 2025 would be the last time I would ever see you again. Last week, shortly after Muzan's passing, would be the last time I would ever talk to you. I am hurt, saddened, and angry beyond words can say. I wish I could go back in time and tell you how much you mean to me, how much I deeply adore and respect you. You had so much to offer the world, we desperately needed it, and you deserved to know how unique and one of a kind you truly are. You deserved to have graduated from your PhD program and given the title "Dr" because you already were one. You deserved to have a beautiful, illustrious career, and you deserved to have a lifetime of belly laughs. You were a mentor, friend, teacher, revolutionary, comrade, and scholar that I believe could have changed the world with your conviction and your unwavering commitment to rigor, truth telling, and kindness. May you rest in power and peace my friend. The world is a much darker place without you Hamid, and I wish you never left. But I accept Allah's will and say inna lilahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un.

It was an absolute honour to know you, albeit briefly, and to learn from you. I am saddened by your early departure. I thought we would have time to meet in person. But we will, in the hereafter. Rest in revolutionary glory, Hamid. You left a lasting impression on this Emirati ally.

Hamid believed in the potential of Africa and was trying to make a positive change in his generation. May he rest in God's glory! Heartfelt condolences to his family!