Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The battlefield at Kerreri lies only eleven kilometres north of Omdurman. This desolate
wasteland on the very edge of the Sahara is the spot where Lord Kitchener's army waged
the five-hour Battle of Omdurman in 1898 - and, in claiming victory, restored colonial
rule to the Sudan. Somewhere amongst these acacia bushes and gravel ridges, a young
subaltern named Winston Churchill took part in the last cavalry charge in British military
history - all a part of Kitchener's campaign to avenge the death of General Gordon and
destroy the Mahdist forces who had, thirteen years earlier, captured Khartoum.
General Gordon had originally been commissioned by the British Prime Minister, Wil-
liam Gladstone, to go to Sudan and organise the evacuation of all the Egyptian garrisons
there. Since the Anglo-Egyptian war in 1882, Egypt had been a British protectorate in all
but name - and, because Egypt had claim to the Sudan, this region also fell under Brit-
ish protection. But, in 1883, a charismatic Muslim leader named Muhammad Ahmad led
an uprising against Egyptian rule. Styling himself the Mahdi, the prophesied redeemer of
the Islamic world, he had quickly gained a devoted following and threatened the major
cities of the Sudan. At last, the British came to a decision: instead of rushing to Sudan's
defence, they would organise the evacuation of all the garrisons there, effectively abandon-
ing Sudan to self-government, and permitting the existence of a Mahdist state. General
Gordon was dispatched to organise the evacuation. Yet, on his arrival at Khartoum, Gor-
don made a startling decision. Rather than do as his prime minister had commanded, he
set about organising the city for defence against the Mahdists. Before long, Khartoum was
under siege, with Gordon administering the defence.
It quickly became apparent that the siege would not be broken without the help of Brit-
ish soldiers from outside the city, help that the British parliament was reluctant to provide.
It took an entire year before infantry were dispatched to relieve the city - and when they
arrived it was too late. Khartoum had fallen two days before, and General Gordon had been
slain.
It was to be thirteen years before Britain commissioned Kitchener to come and smash
the Mahdist forces on the ground on which we now stood. I gazed out over the ancient
land. Despite being the stage for such colourful heroism, these days the battlefield looked
forlorn, a waste-ground mostly fenced off as part of a Sudanese military barracks. On top
of one of the jebels, or mountains, armoured cars and tanks were covered with camouflage
netting. Radio masts poked out of the hills and soldiers could be seen patrolling the com-
pounds near to the road.
At my side, Moez began to pick his way across the battlefield. Behind him, Gordon,
Speke and Burton seemed oblivious to it all. The other two men who made up our party
were Awad and Ahmad - both camel handlers of some renow - who had joined us at
Bala's behest, and a not inconsiderable pay packet. Awad was the younger man, but even
