Graduates' General Congress
[2] The Sudan Schools' Graduates' Club, opened on 18 May 1918, in Omdurman under the supervision of the Gordon Memorial College, initially focused on social and cultural activities, such as celebrating religious events.
Sharif, through his writings in the newspaper Hadarat Al-Sudan, advocated limited cooperation with the British to modernise Sudan but opposed unity with Egypt, fearing it would undermine Sudanese autonomy.
In the same year, Lieutenant Ali Abd Al-Latif's 1922 article called for political and economic reforms, which further incited nationalist sentiment, leading to his imprisonment.
Upon his release, he and other nationalists intensified efforts to mobilise against colonial rule, culminating in a revolutionary agenda that symbolised the growing momentum of Sudan's independence movement.
They joined the newly created White Flag League, led by figures such as Ali Abd Al-Latif, Lieutenant Abdullah Khalil, and First Lieutenant Abdel Fadil Elmaz, which took a more radical stance against British rule,[2] while advocated for "Unity of the Nile Valley," calling for Sudanese independence and unity with Egypt and pledging allegiance to King Fuad.
[2] After the 1924 revolution and its suppression, Sudanese educated elites shifted their focus to cultural and intellectual activities, forming literary societies and study groups to expand their knowledge and foster a collective identity.
[2] The Abu Roaf Society, established in Omdurman around 1928-1929 by Hassan and Hussein Al-Kidd and other Gordon College graduates, emphasised reading and intellectual growth.
Members like Muhammad Ahmad Mahgoub and Arafat Mohammed Abd Allah launched Al-Fajr magazine to discuss literary and political issues, rejecting both tribalism and pro-Egyptian policies.
Led by figures like Ismail al-Azhari, they also played a significant role in the Graduates' Club committees, blending cultural and political aspirations.
[12][13] The Congress sought to advocate for the welfare of Sudanese graduates and the broader population, but the government refused to recognise it as a political representative body.
[14][15][16] The GGC worked to mobilise public support for Sudanese independence through a variety of means, including organising rallies, publishing newspapers and other media, and forming alliances with other nationalist groups in Sudan and other African countries.
Moderates like Sayyid Ibrahim Ahmad, willing to cooperate with the government, clashed with more assertive figures such as Ismail al-Azhari, who sought to politicise the Congress.
Al-Azhari's faction eventually gained control when he was elected as the first secretary of the GGC in 1940, transforming the Congress into a platform for broader nationalist ambitions.
Efforts in 1946 to negotiate a common stance on Sudan’s future further exposed these rifts, solidifying separate paths for unity with Egypt and full independence.
