The Sudanese Centenarian Passes Away After 131 Years Of Giving

Khartoum (Sudanow Magazine) – Al-Safi Ajab Hammad Al-Safi passed away in the village of Kuwaila, in the rural area of ​​Al-Khuwai. This is not unusual, especially given the ongoing war in Sudan, which has raged for three years. Every day, dozens, if not hundreds, die, and thousands are displaced from their villages and towns.

What is new about Al-Safi's death is that he passed away at the age of 131, thus closing a chapter in the region's history as one of the oldest people in modern times.

Those close to him confirmed that the deceased lived through many historical periods and that he was twenty years old in 1916, suggesting he was born in 1897. They added that he remained sharp in his memory and recounted stories of his ancestors and historical heroic resistance against the colonizers until his final days.

Jaafar Yusuf, Al-Safi Ajab Hammad's grandson, confirmed that his grandfather enjoyed good health until the very last day of his life. He added that the secret to this long and vibrant life was a strict traditional diet, one his grandfather never deviated from, which consisted mainly of milk, meat, and millet.

Dr. Tayseer Idris, a family medicine specialist, added that other factors contributed to Al-Safi Ajab Hammad's longevity. He practiced physically active occupations such as farming and herding, and life in the villages is almost entirely free of pollution, thus reducing the prevalence of modern diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and cancer.

The family medicine consultant also pointed out that life is easier in the villages, and all these factors contribute to longer lifespans and avoiding diseases that hasten death.

It is worth noting that the village of Kuwaila is located on the outskirts of Al-Khuwai, which is 200 kilometers from Al-Fula, the capital of West Kordofan State. The main activities of the inhabitants of Kuwaila are farming and herding, with a small number engaged in trade.

The family medicine specialist did not rule out the possibility that there might be other centenarians in Sudan, but due to the country's vast size and the lack of research studies covering this demographic, we rarely hear about them.

Jaafar Youssef said that his grandfather married at the age of 105, yet despite this advanced age, he fathered nine children. He also has 26 grandchildren, both sons and daughters, scattered across the globe, reflecting the deep roots of this authentic Sudanese family and its transnational influence.

He further illustrated this influence by noting that mourning ceremonies were held in three different cities within Sudan-his birthplace in the village of Kuweila, El Obeid, and Omdurman-as well as in Libya and Norway, underscoring the high esteem and significant historical and social standing his grandfather achieved.

Dr. Ibrahim Abdullah Al-Hassan, a professor of biostatistics at several Sudanese universities and formerly deputy director of the National Center for Health Information at the Federal Ministry of Health, stated:“I cannot doubt that Al-Safi Ajab Hammad is 131 years old, but in the absence of official documents (a birth certificate), this information cannot be officially confirmed.”

He added that Al-Safi Ajab Hammad's story is not unlike that of Henry Jenkins, an Englishman who died in 1670 and claimed to have been born in 1501, meaning he would have been 169 years old at the time of his death. However, there were no official documents recording his birth date, so he was only described as“a very old man.”

The former deputy director of the National Center for Health Information, and the first to compile birth and death reports in Sudan, added that if official documents confirming this information were available, Al-Safi Ajab Hammad could have been registered in the Guinness Book of World Records, not just as the oldest Sudanese person, but as the oldest person in the world. He explained that the documented record for the oldest person ever is held by the Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who lived to be 122 years old (1875-1997).

Dr. Ibrahim Al-Hassan pointed out that the highest life expectancy is recorded in the Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Norway, and Denmark), exceeding 85 years. In Sudan, studies (before the war) indicated that the average life expectancy for Sudanese women was approximately 70.2 years, and for men, approximately 63.8 years.

Al-Safi Ajab Hammad remains a living symbol of longevity and sustainable health, stemming from a simple lifestyle, continuous physical activity, and a healthy diet. He is a testament to the human capacity to adapt to one's environment.

In conclusion, the testimonies of those close to Al-Safi Ajab and the significant impact he had on his community attest to his longevity, despite the lack of official documents confirming his age. However, there remains an urgent need to conduct scientific studies on the elderly population to document these cases, and then come up with results that will make the Sudanese people live longer, instead of them appearing as rare individual cases.

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