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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Sudan
Index
In 1892 Herbert Kitchener (later Lord Kitchener) became
sirdar, or commander, of the Egyptian army and started
preparations for the reconquest of Sudan. The British decision to
occupy Sudan resulted in part from international developments
that required the country be brought under British supervision.
By the early 1890s, British, French, and Belgian claims had
converged at the Nile headwaters. Britain feared that the other
colonial powers would take advantage of Sudan's instability to
acquire territory previously annexed to Egypt. Apart from these
political considerations, Britain wanted to establish control
over the Nile to safeguard a planned irrigation dam at Aswan.
In 1895 the British government authorized Kitchener to launch
a campaign to reconquer Sudan. Britain provided men and matériel
while Egypt financed the expedition. The Anglo-Egyptian Nile
Expeditionary Force included 25,800 men, 8,600 of whom were
British. The remainder were troops belonging to Egyptian units
that included six battalions recruited in southern Sudan. An
armed river flotilla escorted the force, which also had artillery
support. In preparation for the attack, the British established
army headquarters at Wadi Halfa and extended and reinforced the
perimeter defenses around Sawakin. In March 1896, the campaign
started; in September, Kitchener captured Dunqulah. The British
then constructed a rail line from Wadi Halfa to Abu Hamad and an
extension parallel to the Nile to transport troops and supplies
to Barbar. Anglo-Egyptian units fought a sharp action at Abu
Hamad, but there was little other significant resistance until
Kitchener reached Atbarah and defeated the Ansar. After this
engagement, Kitchener's soldiers marched and sailed toward
Omdurman, where the Khalifa made his last stand.
On September 2, 1898, the Khalifa committed his 52,000-man
army to a frontal assault against the Anglo-Egyptian force, which
was massed on the plain outside Omdurman. The outcome never was
in doubt, largely because of superior British firepower. During
the five-hour battle, about 11,000 Mahdists died whereas AngloEgyptian losses amounted to 48 dead and fewer than 400 wounded.
Mopping-up operations required several years, but organized
resistance ended when the Khalifa, who had escaped to Kurdufan,
died in fighting at Umm Diwaykarat in November 1899. Many areas
welcomed the downfall of his regime. Sudan's economy had been all
but destroyed during his reign and the population had declined by
approximately one-half because of famine, disease, persecution,
and warfare. Moreover, none of the country's traditional
institutions or loyalties remained intact. Tribes had been
divided in their attitudes toward Mahdism, religious brotherhoods
had been weakened, and orthodox religious leaders had vanished.
Data as of June 1991
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