Kassala Mutiny
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Kassala (, ) is the capital of the state of
Kassala Kassala (, ) is the capital of the state of Kassala (state), Kassala in eastern Sudan. In 2003 its population was recorded to be 530,950. Built on the banks of the Mareb River, Gash River, it is a market city and is famous for its fruit gardens. ...
in eastern
Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...
. In 2003 its population was recorded to be 530,950. Built on the banks of the Gash River, it is a market city and is famous for its fruit gardens. Many of its inhabitants are from the Hadendawa sub-tribe of the Beja ethnic group. The city was formerly a railroad hub, however, as of 2006 there was no operational railway station in Kassala and much of the track leading to and from the city has been salvaged or fallen into disrepair. Kassala's location along the main
Khartoum Khartoum or Khartum is the capital city of Sudan as well as Khartoum State. With an estimated population of 7.1 million people, Greater Khartoum is the largest urban area in Sudan. Khartoum is located at the confluence of the White Nile – flo ...
-
Port Sudan Port Sudan (, Beja: ) is a port city on the Red Sea in eastern Sudan, and the capital of Red Sea State. Port Sudan is Sudan's main seaport and the source of 90% of the country's international trade. The population of Port Sudan was estimated in ...
highway makes it an important trade center.


History

In 1834, the
Egyptian Army The Egyptian Army (), officially the Egyptian Ground Forces (), is the land warfare branch (and largest service branch) of the Egyptian Armed Forces. Until the declaration of the Republic and the abolishment of the monarchy on 18 June 1953, it w ...
established Kassala as a garrison town following its conquest of Sudan in 1821. When the
Mahdist state The Mahdist State, also known as Mahdist Sudan or the Sudanese Mahdiyya, was a state based on a religious and political movement launched in 1881 by Muammad Ahmad bin Abdullah, Muhammad Ahmad bin Abdullah (later Muhammad Mahdi, al-Mahdi) against ...
was established, the Egyptian garrison in Kassala found itself besieged by Mahdist forces. Under the terms of the 1884
Hewett Treaty The Hewett Treaty, also called the Treaty of Adwa, was an agreement between Britain, Egypt and Ethiopia signed at Adwa on 3 June 1884. The treaty ended a long-simmering conflict between Egypt and Ethiopia, but indirectly started a new conflict betw ...
, Abyssinian forces led by
Ras Alula Ras Alula Engida () (1845 – 15 February 1897; also known by his horse name Abba Nega and by Alula Equbi) was an Ethiopian general and politician who successfully led battles against Ottoman Egypt, the Mahdists and Italy. He was one of the ...
attempted to rescue the Egyptians. Although Ras Alula successfully defeated the Mahdists at the
Battle of Kufit The Battle of Kufit was a military engagement fought on 22–23 September 1885, between the Mahdist Sudanese and Ethiopian forces. This fighting resulted in a crushing defeat for the Mahdists and a victory for the Ethiopians led by Ras Alula ...
, he was unable to breach Kassala’s defenses and liberate the Egyptians. In 1886, after prolonged resistance, the Egyptian garrison finally surrendered to the Mahdists under
Osman Digna Osman Digna () ( 1840–1926) was a follower of Muhammad Ahmad, the self-proclaimed Mahdi, in Sudan, who became his best known military commander during the Mahdist War. He was claimed to be a descendant from the Abbasid family. As the Mahd ...
. On July 17, 1894, Italy annexed Kassala to
Italian Eritrea Italian Eritrea (, "Colony of Eritrea") was a colony of the Kingdom of Italy in the territory of present-day Eritrea. The first Italian establishment in the area was the purchase of Assab by the Società di Navigazione Rubattino, Rubattino Shippin ...
. The Italians fortified the town and brought stability to the region by pacifying the Beja, the dominant local population. However, Italy's defeat at the
Battle of Adwa The Battle of Adwa (; ; , also spelled ''Adowa'') was the climactic battle of the First Italo-Ethiopian War. The Ethiopian army defeated an invading Italian and Eritrean force led by Oreste Baratieri on March 1, 1896, near the town of Adwa. ...
in 1896 changed Kassala's fate. Italy was forced to evacuate the town after failing to hold it until the arrival of advancing Anglo-Egyptian forces, who re-occupied Kassala and incorporated it into
Anglo-Egyptian Sudan Anglo-Egyptian Sudan ( ') was a condominium (international law), condominium of the United Kingdom and Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt between 1899 and 1956, corresponding mostly to the territory of present-day South Sudan and Sudan. Legally, sovereig ...
. In the early 1900s, a railway was constructed, first linking Kassala to the Red Sea port of
Port Sudan Port Sudan (, Beja: ) is a port city on the Red Sea in eastern Sudan, and the capital of Red Sea State. Port Sudan is Sudan's main seaport and the source of 90% of the country's international trade. The population of Port Sudan was estimated in ...
—built in 1906 to replace
Suakin Suakin or Sawakin (, Beja: ''Oosook'') is a port city in northeastern Sudan, on the west coast of the Red Sea. It was formerly the region's chief port, but is now secondary to Port Sudan, about north. Suakin used to be considered the height ...
—and later, in 1929, extending to
Sennar Sennar ( ') is a city on the Blue Nile in Sudan and possibly the capital of the state of Sennar. For several centuries it was the capital of the Funj Kingdom of Sennar and until at least 2011, Sennar was the capital of Sennar State. Histo ...
on the southern frontiers of the Gezira Cotton Scheme. When the Anglo-Egyptian forces re-established control over Sudan, Kassala developed into a thriving trade center serving the Ethiopian hinterlands. Horticulture was introduced in the fertile lands near the Gash and Barka rivers, and the British later introduced cotton cultivation. The Kassala Cotton Company, a subsidiary of the Sudan Plantations Syndicate, played a role in these developments. In July 1940, during the East African Campaign, Italian forces advancing from
Italian East Africa Italian East Africa (, A.O.I.) was a short-lived colonial possession of Fascist Italy from 1936 to 1941 in the Horn of Africa. It was established following the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, which led to the military occupation of the Ethiopian ...
forced the local British garrison to withdraw from Kassala. The Italians then occupied the city with brigade-sized units: on July 4, 1940 the Italians started their offensive with 2,500 men (and one brigade of cavalry) supported by 24 tanks, while to defend Kassala for Britain there were 1,300 colonial soldiers with their British officers who -after some initial heavy fighting- were easily defeated. The Italians later appointed as mayor of Kassala the future hero of Eritrean independence,
Hamid Idris Awate Hamid Idris Awate (; 10 April 1910 – 28 May 1962) was an Eritrean revolutionary and prominent guerrilla commander, and a symbol of the Eritrean War of Independence and independence struggle. Early life in Italian Eritrea Awate was born in 191 ...
. In mid-January 1941, the Italians withdrew from the city and a British garrison returned. In 2003, Kassala's population was estimated at 530,950 inhabitants. The town is ethnically diverse, comprising groups such as the Beja, Beni-Amer,
Amarar Amarar (Also known as Wagada' Amaraar) is a nomadic tribe of the Beja people inhabiting the mountainous country to the west of the Red Sea, Suakin northwards, and Eritrea towards Sudan. Between them and the Nile are the Ababda and Bisharin Beja t ...
,
Bishari The Bishari (, or , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: ; Beja language, Beja: ) are a Cushitic peoples, Cushitic ethnic group who live in parts of Northeast Africa. They are one of the major divisions of the Beja people. Apart from local dialects ...
,
Rashaida The Rashaida (), also known as Bani Rasheed, are a Bedouin ethnic group inhabiting the coastal plain of the Red Sea stretching from the Sudanese city of Port Sudan to the Eritrean city of Massawa. They are the descendants of Arab tribes people f ...
, and Halanga, as well as significant immigrant communities from northern and western Sudan, including the
Fula Fula may refer to: *Fula people (or Fulani, Fulɓe) *Fula language (or Pulaar, Fulfulde, Fulani) **The Fula variety known as the Pulaar language **The Fula variety known as the Pular language **The Fula variety known as Maasina Fulfulde *Fula alpha ...
and
Nuba peoples The Nuba people are indigenous inhabitants of southern Sudan. The Nuba are made up of 50 various indigenous ethnic groups who inhabit the Nuba Mountains of South Kordofan state in Sudan, encompassing multiple distinct people that speak differ ...
. The Ethiopian-Eritrean War (1998–2000) displaced an estimated 110,000 Eritreans refugees to the Kassala area, particularly from the border towns of Barentu and
Teseney Teseney (, ), also spelled Tessenei or Tesseney, is a market town in western Eritrea. It lies south-east of Kassala in Sudan, on the Gash River. The city was much fought over in the Eritrean War of Independence during which much of it was destroy ...
, which were overrun by the
Ethiopian Army The Ethiopian Army () is the land service branch of the Ethiopian National Defense Force. It is the senior of the two uniformed military branches. The force engages in land warfare and combined arms operations, including armored and mechanize ...
. In 2025, during the
Sudanese civil war (2023-present) The term Sudanese Civil War refers to at least three separate conflicts in Sudan in Northeast Africa: *First Sudanese Civil War (1955–1972) *Second Sudanese Civil War (1983–2005) *Sudanese civil war (2023–present) It could also refer to other ...
, Kassala had been involved in conflict for the first time since the war began 2 years ago. The RSF attacked Kassala with drones on 3 May 2025. The attack targeted the fuel storage area at the Kassala Airport. This attack marks the second furthest drone attack by the RSF from controlled areas by the RSF. RSF later attacked
Port Sudan Port Sudan (, Beja: ) is a port city on the Red Sea in eastern Sudan, and the capital of Red Sea State. Port Sudan is Sudan's main seaport and the source of 90% of the country's international trade. The population of Port Sudan was estimated in ...
.


Climate

Kassala has a
hot desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk'') is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...
(
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
''BWh'') characterized by high temperatures, low precipitation, and abundant sunshine. April through June marks the hottest period of the year, followed by the
wet season The wet season (sometimes called the rainy season or monsoon season) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Generally, the season lasts at least one month. The term ''green season'' is also sometimes used a ...
from July through September, marked by higher humidity levels and intermittent rainfall. The rest of the year is very dry, with nearly no precipitation from November to March.


Current status

The Kassala region had a child mortality rate of 62 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2014, slightly higher than the national average of 52 child deaths per 1,000. The Khatmiyya Mosque, built in 1840 by the Egyptians and damaged during the
Mahdist War The Mahdist War (; 1881–1899) was fought between the Mahdist Sudanese, led by Muhammad Ahmad bin Abdullah, who had proclaimed himself the "Mahdi" of Islam (the "Guided One"), and the forces of the Khedivate of Egypt, initially, and later th ...
, is the city's most important cultural site. It is an important site for the
Sufi Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...
Khatmiyya order.


Education

The city is home to Kassala University, a public university established in 1990 to replace the East University, and an important institution for development in the east of Sudan. Including Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Faculty of Education,Faculty of Economic and Administration, Faculty of Computer science and IT and more.


Notable people

* Bushara Abdel-Nadief (footballer) * Aisha Musa Ahmad (singer) * Hassan Al-Turabi (politician) *
Muhannad El Tahir Muhaned Altaher (; born 3 December 1984) is a Sudanese footballer who plays as a secondary striker for Sudan Premier League club Tuti SC and the Sudan national team. Altaher joined Kassala-based Al Mirghani ESC Al Mirghani Educational Spo ...
(footballer) *
Nizar Hamid Nazir Hamid (born 3 October 1988) is a Sudanese association football, football defender (football), defender who plays for Al-Hilal Club (Omdurman), Al-Hilal and the Sudan national football team. International goals :''As of match played 31 Ma ...
(footballer) * Noor Uthman Muhammed


See also

*
2007 Sudan floods On 3 July 2007, flash floods during Sudan's rainy season devastated much of the country's central, southern, and western regions. The Sudanese government referred to the floods as the "worst in living memory". An estimated 200,000 Sudanese were ...
*
Railway stations in Sudan Railway stations in Sudan include: Maps * UNHCR Atlas Map * UN Map * Different maps Aljabalan map * * Sudan and South Sudan Map Existing and Proposed * Aswan - 0km * Toshka & Abu Simbel - proposed branch * - border * Wadi Halfa - N - ...
* Toteil


References


External links


Kassala program
Ockenden International {{Coord, 15, 27, N, 36, 24, E, region:SD_type:city, display=title State capitals in Sudan Populated places in Kassala State