[1] Sourang was born on 24 July 1949 in Saint-Louis in the French West Africa colony.

He was a direct descendant of Amadou Bamba, founder of the Mouride brotherhood.

Sourang earned a master's degree in public law from Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar in 1974.

He then studied at the University of Bordeaux in France, earning a doctorate in public law in 1975, a doctorate in political science in 1976, and another degree in public law in 1980 with a thesis titled La technique contractuelle dans les rapports États-entreprises étrangères : contribution à l'étude des conventions d'établissement conclues par les États africains.

Sourang taught at Cheikh Anta Diop University, becoming Dean of the Faculty of Legal Sciences in 1984 and serving until 1998.