Khartoum, 1 January 2022 (TDI): Sudan is celebrating its Independence Day today. The National Day commemorates the independence of Sudan from Egypt and Britain in 1956.
History of Sudan’s Independence
The Republic of Sudan is a Northeastern Africa state and it is the third-largest country in Africa, in terms of area. Muslim Arabs settled the region from the 14th century. However, it was once a part of the ancient Egyptian Empire.
The Viceroy of Egypt under the Ottoman Empire, Muhammad Ali conquered Sudan in 1820. Nevertheless, a revolt in 1881 led by Mahdi Muhammad Ahmad against the Ottoman-Egyptian administration resulted in the end of Ottoman rule following the capture of Khartoum and the defeat of General Gordon in January 1885. Subsequently, the Caliphate of Omdurman was established.
The Khalīfah-ruled Caliphate was however short-lived and ended when under the command of Lord Kitchener, the British Army defeated the Khalīfah at the Battle of Omdurman in September 1898.
Britain and Egypt reached an agreement in 1899, under which Sudan was run by a Governor-general who was appointed by Egypt with British approval. As a result, Sudan was actually administered as a Crown colony.
In the 20th century, Sudanese nationalism was encouraged by the Egyptian revolution of 1952 and backing from Egypt’s new leaders, hence gaining momentum. With the Egyptians renouncing their declarations of sovereignty, the British anticipated rise of instability in the region, hence agreed to a free vote in the Sudanese regions on whether they wanted a British withdrawal or independence.
The vote resulted in the Sudanese parliament declaring Sudan’s independence on December 19th, 1955, unilaterally and unanimously, with the British and Egyptian Governments recognizing the independence of the country on January 1st, 1956.
Sudan: A North African Country
Sudan is located in northeastern Africa. Sudan is derived from bilād al-sūdān which is an Arabic expression meaning land of the blacks. It was used by medieval Arab geographers who referred to the settled African countries that formed at the southern edge of the Sahara, as such. For more than a century, Sudan included its neighbor, South Sudan, making it the largest African country.
Sudan has been a focal point for interchange between the cultural traditions of Africa and the Mediterranean world, since ancient times. Arabic language and Islam gained predominance in northern regions of Sudan, whilst older African languages and cultures dominated the south.
Geographic Contours
Sudan shares contiguity with Egypt in the north, while on the east by the Red Sea, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. On the south, it borders South Sudan and the Central African Republic and Chad on its west. It shares a border with Libya in the northwest.
Geographically, Sudan is primarily comprised of expansive plateaus and plains that are drained by River Nile and its tributaries. The Nile river system runs from south to north across the entirety of the east-central region. The Nile-Congo watershed and the highlands of Darfur frame the enormous Sudanese plain on the west and the Ethiopian Plateau and the Red Sea Hills on the east.
Climate of Sudan
Climatically Sudan is a hot country. In the northern region of the country, rainfall is rare and winds prevail for most of the year. The seasons are characterized by the north-south oscillation of the perimeter between dry northerly air and moist southerly air, to the south
The north’s relatively cool and dry winds of the tropical air mass blow across Sudan in winter. These winds are and usually bring no rain. The eastern and central areas of the country have the highest mean annual temperatures, which typically range from the mid-90s to mid-100s F (mid-30s to low 40s C).
The climate is alleviated by sea breezes along the Red Sea and most of the rain falls during winter. Dust storms are common in the north and central region.
Ethnicity in Sudan
Sudan’s population exhibits a diverse profile with many prominent ethnic groups and hundreds of subgroups that speak multiple languages and dialects.
In terms of ethnicity, Sudan is dominated by Muslims, most of whom identify themselves as “Arabs and speak Arabic. They are mostly ethnically eclectic, with many of them being physically indistinguishable from those who do not regard themselves as Arabs.
The Arabs do not constitute a cohesive group despite a common language and religion because historically the Arabs have been divided into tribes based on presumed descent from a common ancestor.
The dominant tribes are Jalayin the sedentary agriculturalists and the nomadic herders Juhaynah. The Jalayin includes such tribes as the Shāyqiyyah, the Jalayin tribe proper, and the Rubtab. The Juhaynah, are the Kababish, the Shukriyah, and the Baqqārah.
Asides from the Arabs, there are many Muslim non-Arab groups in the country, most notably the Nubians. The Nubians live adjacent Nile in the far north and mostly speak Arabic as a second language.
Another ethnic group is the Beja inhabiting the Red Sea Hills. The Beja although Muslims, have retained their Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language; the Bedawi language. Fur is another non-Arab group that is sedentary agriculturalists living in or near the Marrah Mountains in western Sudan.
The non-Muslim people of Sudan mostly live in the south. Nuba, the hill cultivators, is one of the most prominent groups, living in the Nuba Mountains and speaking various Eastern Sudanic languages like Midobi and Birked.
Aside from Nuba, another non-Muslim group is the Dinka, living near the border with South Sudan. Non-Muslim populations also reside in the capital, Khartoum.
Languages Spoken in Sudan
Many languages are spoken in Sudan with Arabic being the primary language of most of the population. Moreover, it is the most common medium for the conduct of government, urban life, and commerce throughout the country. The official language is both Arabic and English.
There are three families of African languages in Sudan: the Afro-Asiatic, Niger-Congo, and Nilo-Saharan. However, the Afro-Asiatic languages; Arabic and Bedawi are the most widely spoken.
The Nilo-Saharan languages include the Nubian languages whereas the Zaghawa and Fur languages are spoken predominantly in the west and southwest The Dinka language is spoken in the south.
Numerous Kordofanian languages represent the Niger-Congo family, spoken in southern Sudan. Moreover, the vast majority of Sudanese are multilingual speaking both Arabic and English.
Religion, Economy, Culture
The dominant religion of the country is Sunni Islam in Sudan. However, a small percentage follows the traditional animist religions. Even though these animists share a commonality each ethnic group has its own indigenous religion.
A small portion of the population accounts for Christians. The advent of Christianity in Sudan can be traced back to the 6th century CE with it flourishing in the ancient Nubia.
Economically, Sudan is one of the least-developed countries in the world. The country mostly depends on farming and animal husbandry for their livelihoods. Agriculture accounts for about one-third of Sudan’s gross domestic product (GDP). Later, oil production started in the late 1990s, with petroleum quickly becoming the country’s most important export.
The core cultural concepts of Sudan are Modesty, Dignity (Karama), Honour (Sharaf), Duty (al-wajib), Hospitality, Generosity (Karim), Humility (tawadae), and Stoicism.
