Kassala State (Sudan)

Kassala State, which covers an area of approximately 36,710km2, is situated on the border with Eritrea towards the east of Sudan. The capital city, Kassala, is situated in the lowland of the magnificent Taka Mountains and along the seasonal Gash River that supports lush fruit gardens and arable land in a desert-like environment. In 2018, the population of this state is approximately 2.5 million people most of whom live in rural territories and agriculture takes the centre stage of the local lifestyle. With irrigation projects notably related to the New Halfa and Gash Delta schemes, both food security and trade have been supported by cultivating sorghum, cotton, groundnuts and a range of vegetables. This is added to the presence of road and rail links with Khartoum and Port Sudan thus the special geographic location and the agricultural tradition of the Kassala State makes this state a key regional access door between the heartland and the Red Sea route of Sudan.

History

This area has been a cultural and commercial node that has connected the Nile valley and the red sea and the horn of Africa for many centuries. The fact that it was in the way of caravans made possible the transfer of material goods like ivory, gold, salt, and textiles, and encouraged the contact of African, Arab and Mediterranean cultures.

During antiquity Kassala had been affected by the great kingdoms of the Nile Valley that included the Kushite and Meroitic civilizations. Archaeological evidence points to eastern Sudan also having trade and cultural relations with these early states but also with the Axum in the current-day Ethiopia. By the mediaeval period, the region developed into Beja territory, which was occupied by nomadic pastoralists and dominated trade routes and greatly influenced the politics in the region.

As a part of the Islamic spread in the Sudan, Kassala was an ex-post area where Arab tribes mixed with the natives. Such mixing resulted in a culture-rich mosaic, blending local practices with Islamic traditions, over the course of time. The Gash River basin offered a fertile settlement around which small agricultural communities thrived on the given semi-arid climate.

Kassala got its recognition during the 19th-century period of Turco-Egyptian dominance in an attempt to overcome the eastern lines using the support of the Ottoman. The area was turned into an administrative outpost, as a tax collection area and as a military precursor. Subsequently, in the Mahdist period (1885-1898) Kassala was the centre of high drama. The city changed hands amidst the Mahdist forces, and the Italian colonial powers who briefly occupied Kassala as part and parcel of their base in Eritrea only to send back the city to the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan in 1897. This episode highlighted that the area is of strategic importance to both African powers and European powers.

Kassala became a frontier province under Anglo-Egyptian rule and irrigation projects like the Gash Delta scheme provided the foundation of modern agriculture in Kassala. As the big-scale cotton farming became established, the region became connected to the market economy of the world, as well as the economies of the region and the patterns of settlement were reordered. Even with these developments, rural life was still based on smallholder farming and pastoralism as it is the case now.

Even after Sudan got independence in 1956, Kassala was still important as an eastern province, albeit not devoid of problems. Its location adjacent to Eritrea and Ethiopia consequently resulted in its metrics catching the turbulence of the conflict around the region such as inflow of refugees into the country in the Eritrean struggle to adopt independence and subsequent issues related to the borders. The area has however been used in promoting trans-Border commerce and cultural interaction as well, the mediator between Sudan and the Horn of Africa.

Culture

The land of Beja, Hadendowa, Rashaida and Beni Amer people, is the area which is a melting pot of traditions, the centuries of interaction of Africa and the Arab world. Every group has its own language, dressing style and traditions and it gives rise to a cultural landscape that is both distinctly Sudanese and yet very regional.

Traditional clothes are also considered one of the most noticeable examples of the cultural identity of Kassala. A good example is the Hadendowa people whose hairstyles and specific kinds of garments are a symbol of pride and their culture. Rashaida, tracing their origin to the Arabian Peninsula, is known to have been wearing black embroidered veils and ornate necklaces that set them apart as compared to their neighbours.

Community life is majorly concerned with festivals and social genialities. People gather around music and dance usually with the drums and traditional string instruments celebrating weddings, religious events and harvest events. Oral storytelling is also used in conveying historical information to a greater number of people about the history, morals and values of the past, enhancing the connection between the past and the present.

The Gash River and its fertile basin shape much of Kassala's food culture. Traditional breads and porridge are made out of sorghum, which is used as a staple on the plate, and vegetables, fruits, and cold groundnuts grown in the area provide a diversity to local food. The tea and coffee rituals especially in Beja families, do not only entail drinking soft drinks but also hospitality and fellowship, this is the warmth of the people.

Religion is a cohesive factor, whereby Islam has dictated several life aspects, rituals and architecture. Kassala mosques such as the historic Al-Sawagi Mosque are simply a site of worship but also a cultural hub where the populace just hold learnings and other community affairs. The remains highly valued are the spiritual heads and Sufi, reifying the religious history of the state.

Language

Although Arabic is the most common and spoken language especially in education, government and trade, many localised communities still die up to the local language, thus adding to the culture of the state.

Of the native languages, the Bedawiye (Beja) is a language of particular concern. The Beja people, and especially, the Hadendowa, speak it (that is, it belongs to the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family). Bedawiye has survived centuries and still lies at heart of the identity of its speakers, and is used in everyday life and cultural practise, even though the majority of Beja are also bilingual in Arabic.

The second language relevant in the state is the Tigre used by people with special connection to Eritrea. Tigre speaks to Kassala and her cross-border interactions with the horn of Africa and their cultural exchange. Likewise, the Tigrinya, which is not so popular, can be spoken by some groups, where the Eritrean border is located.

Rashaida people (migrants of the Arabian Peninsula in the 19th century) use a unique variant of the Arabic language dependent on their roots. This dialect marks them as different and at the same time, makes them linguistically identifiable with the rest of the Arab world.

Geography

Kassala State is found within east Sudan that borders on Eritrea to the east, and it is located close to Ethiopia with only a short distance. The state, with its area of approximately 36,710 square kilometres, can be characterised by an impressive diversity of the scenery of arid plains and mountain ranges and the valleys of the riverbed. The only geographical feature that stands out is the Taka mountains, an environmental landmark as well as an historic encampment.

The other important geographical element of Kassala is the Gash River. This is a seasonal river originating in the Ethiopian highlands flowing into the state and spreading out over an extensive delta in the vicinity of the city of Kassala. Despite the fact that it only flows during the rainy season, the waters of the river sustain irrigation and agriculture, as well as grazing activities of livestock. The Gash Delta happens to be one of the most prolific agricultural regions of Sudan, boasting of sorghum, cotton, groundnuts, and vegetables as its produce. Nevertheless the river is not perfectly predictable either- seasonal flooding may raise a harvest as well as the devastation of settlements along its paths.

Most of the state is in the semi-arid region of Sudan, which receives minimal rainfall and the temperatures may be intensive. Climatic conditions reached hot in the summer with the average temperature of high temperatures over 40°C, and were much more bearable in the winter. Rain is very erratic and can occur into brief bursts during the months of June to September keeping much of the year dry. Such an environment causes Kassala to remain particularly susceptible to factors like drought and desertification that impact agriculture and rural lifestyles.

The plants are climate dependent having acacia trees, shrubs, and grasses as the main measure of the environment. Such ecosystems support grazing camels, goats, and sheep, which are still surrounded by pastoralists in the area. In more fertile areas in the Gash River, arable land sustains permanent villages and towns, forming a patchwork of agricultural and pastoral living to cover the entire state.

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