Sudanese Military Academy () is one of the military colleges in Sudan and the first military college established in Africa. The Military College at Wadi Sayyidna, near

Omdurman Omdurman () is a major city in Sudan. It is the second most populous city in the country, located in the State of Khartoum. Omdurman lies on the west bank of the River Nile, opposite and northwest of the capital city of Khartoum. The city acts ...

, has been Sudan's primary source of officer training since it opened in 1948. The Military College is also known as "the factory of men and the den of heroes" (). It offers a two-year program with emphasises on the study of political and military science, as well as physical training. Upon completion of the program, graduates are commissioned as second lieutenants in the

Sudanese Armed Forces The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF; ) are the military forces of the Republic of the Sudan. The force strength has been estimated at personnel in 2011 (by IISS), 200,000 personnel before the current war in Sudan broke out in 2023 (by the CIA), and ...

(SAF). The military student graduates from the college after three years with the rank of

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

in the

and a diploma degree in military and administrative sciences. The college also has academic studies according to military studies. The college also award a bachelor’s degree after four years with the rank of

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...

. The college has been known to receive military students from some Arab and African countries. According to the US's

Federal Research Division The Federal Research Division (FRD) is the research and analysis unit of the United States Library of Congress. The Federal Research Division provides directed research and analysis on domestic and international subjects to agencies of the Unite ...

, in the late 1950s, roughly 60 graduated each year, peaking to more than 500 in early 1972 as a result of mobilization brought on by the

First Sudanese Civil War The First Sudanese Civil War (also known as the Anyanya Rebellion or Anyanya I, after the name of the rebels, a term in the Madi language which means 'snake venom') was fought from 1955 to 1972 between the northern part of Sudan and the sout ...

. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, an average of 120 to 150 officers were graduated from the Military College each year. However, this number varied over time due to different factors, including mobilization brought on by conflicts and rebellions within Sudan. Students from other Arab and African countries were also trained at the Military College, and in 1982, 60 Ugandans were graduated as part of a Sudanese contribution to rebuilding the Ugandan army after

Idi Amin Idi Amin Dada Oumee (, ; 30 May 192816 August 2003) was a Ugandan military officer and politician who served as the third president of Uganda from 1971 until Uganda–Tanzania War, his overthrow in 1979. He ruled as a Military dictatorship, ...

's removal from power. It was announced in 1990 that 600 members of the

National Islamic Front The National Islamic Front (NIF; ; transliterated: ''al-Jabhah al-Islamiyah al-Qawmiyah'') was an Islamist political organization founded in 1976 and led by Dr. Hassan al-Turabi that influenced the Sudanese government starting in 1979, and d ...

's associated militia, the Popular Defence Forces (PDF), had been selected to attend the Military College to help fill the ranks of the officer corps depleted by resignations or dismissals. Since the early 1970s, the Staff College in Omdurman has graduated 55 to 60 majors and lieutenant colonels annually with masters' degrees in military science. Officers from other Arab countries — Jordan, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates — attended, as well as some Palestinians. Since 1981 the High Military Academy in Omdurman, a war college designed to prepare colonels and brigadier generals for more senior positions, offered a six-month course on national security issues. The academy was commissioned to produce strategic analyses for consideration by the Bashir government. The Military College's course of study, while rigorous, was reportedly weak in scientific and technical instruction. Junior officers were, however, given opportunities to continue their education at the

University of Khartoum The University of Khartoum (U of K) () is a public university located in Khartoum, Sudan. It is the largest and oldest university in Sudan. UofK was founded as Gordon Memorial College in 1902 and established in 1956 when Sudan gained independen ...

. Many officers also studied abroad. It was estimated that at least 50% had received some schooling in Egypt. Others were sent to the United States, Britain (mainly pilots and mechanics), Germany (helicopter pilots), and Middle Eastern countries. Most high naval officers had were trained at the Yugoslav naval academy; other naval officers were detailed for training in the states of the Persian Gulf. Opportunities for training abroad were greatly curtailed, however, as a result of international disapproval of the policies of the Bashir government. In addition to the academies, the SAF also operated a variety of technical schools for junior and non-commissioned officers, including infantry, artillery, communications, ordnance, engineering, and armoured schools, all in the vicinity of Khartoum. An air force training centre at

Wadi Sayyidna Air Base Wadi Seidna Air Base () is a military airport north of Khartoum in Sudan. After the Sudan conflict began, the French Special Forces, the U.K. Royal Air Force, the German Luftwaffe, the Royal Netherlands Air Force and the Spanish Air and Spa ...

was constructed with Chinese help to train technicians in aircraft maintenance, ground control, and other skills. In the army, recruitment and basic training of enlisted personnel were not centralized but were the responsibility of each division and regional command. The Sudanese Military College includes Defence College, War College, Joint Command and Staff College, High Military Academy,

Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

College, Naval Academy, and Karary Academy of Military Technology.

References

External links

* {{Cite web , date=October 2005 , title=ICRC Audiovisual Archives , url=https://avarchives.icrc.org/Film/1014 , access-date= , website=ICRC Audiovisual archives , language=en Military academies of Sudan Air force academies Educational institutions established in 1948 1948 establishments in Sudan Military installations of Sudan