The History of Sudan is marked by invasion and coups. History of Sudan throws light on how the country surmounted innumerable hurdles to attain independence in 1953.

The History of Sudan is marked by invasion and coups. History of Sudan throws light on how the country surmounted plenty of hurdles to attain independence in 1953. Sudan was formerly known as Nubia. It served Egypt as a rich source of goods like incense, slaves, gold, and ebony, ivory obtained through both trade and plunder. Egyptian dominance of this region probably began during Egypt Old Kingdom, about 2755 to 2255 BC. Nubia had been reduced to the status of an Egyptian province.

After it was freed, Nubia was invaded by the Romans. By the 6th century AD, 3 separate Christian kingdoms were established. In 1822, Egypt won a great victory and Nubia once again became an Egyptian province, known as Egyptian Sudan.

Egypt held on to Sudan for more than half a century. With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, Britain and France began to take great interest in the region.

During this time Sudan was undergoing severe trouble. Internal unrest triggered by the slave trade mounted steadily during this period, and foreign intervention became inevitable. In 1873 a British general, Charles George Gordon, was appointed governor of Egyptian Sudan. Meanwhile, a local military leader, Mohammed Ahmad joined forces with Alkaleefa Abdullahi and proclaimed himself the Mahdi or one who lead the jihad in defense of Islam. The Mahdist revolt began in the year 1880 and resulted in the capture of Khartoum in 1885, with a complete victory over the Egyptian army. British relief forces, arrived too late. Gordon was already dead and the Mahdist gained complete control.

The Mahdi was succeeded by Alkaleefa Abdullahi. In 1896 a British military expedition against the Alkaleefa Abdullahi was dispatched, led by General Horatio Herbert Kitchener. Kitchener’s forces defeated the caliph at the Battle of Karari, and the Mahdist state was overthrown.

In 1899, the Egyptian and British governments signed an agreement, making provision for their joint sovereignty in Sudan. In 1953, the two governments entered into an agreement allowing a three-year transitional period following which Sudan would gain independence. The first Sudanese elections were held late in 1953 and the first all-Sudanese government took office in 1954. The new Republic of the Sudan was born at this time.

A military coup, led by General Ibrahim Abboud, overthrew the government in 1958. Another coup in 1969, led this time by Colonel Jafaar Mohammed al-Nimeiry, set up government under a revolutionary council. Nimeiry became the Sudan's first elected President in 1972, and signed the Addis Ababa agreement, in an attempt to end strife between north and south. Nimeiry was removed in a bloodless coup in April, 1985. In April, 1986, Sadiq al-Mahdi became the prime minister. A military coup engineered by the National Islamic Front overthrew the democratically elected government of Sadia al-Mahdi in 1989. The new regime, led by Brigadier Omer Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir later promoted to Lt. General dissolved the parliament, political parties and suspended the constitution.

In the 90’s the condition of Sudan worsened. The war between the Sudan People's Liberation Movement or SPLM and the government troops caused economic ruin to the nation.The northern opposition under the umbrella of the National Democratic Alliance took up arms against al-Bashir rule and occupied territories in eastern Sudan and northern Blue Nile. Today, the situation remains as tense as before.

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