There are six million Hausa people in Sudan, the majority of whom are followers of Islam, and some of them speak their native Hausa language instead of Arabic. Most of them make their living through farming in the Darfur region, Al-Jazira state, and the states of Kassala, as well as eastern Gedaref, Sennar, and Blue Nile.
The 1993 census showed 8 million people in Sudan, but since that time, no further census has been conducted—especially due to the country's long-running civil war.
The United Nations estimates the country's population at 37 million, while the U.S. intelligence agency, the CIA, says it is 45 million.
But after South Sudan seceded from the country, the population of Sudan is estimated to be around 42 million.
Although Sudan spent decades under Islamic Sharia law, the country follows a dual education system, similar to the situation in Nigeria and Niger.
There are both secular schools and Islamic religious schools, including Qur'anic schools (Allo). In secular schools, students are taught subjects in Arabic, and they learn courses such as mathematics, science, technology, and languages like English and French.
How the Hausa Came to Be in Sudan
Historians have explained that the Hausa people arrived in the region now known as Sudan as early as the advent of Islam in West Africa.
Some went to Sudan for trade purposes, while others went for the Hajj pilgrimage—with some traveling on foot, and others on horseback or donkeys.
Most of the Hausa who undertook this journey set out from northern Nigeria and southern Niger, passing through areas that today lie within Cameroon, Chad, and the Central African Republic.
They would set up camps at various points along their route to the holy land. Some of these camping sites gradually became Hausa towns.
Some Hausa did not manage to reach the holy land, which is why they settled in all the areas where they found themselves.
These areas are now within countries such as Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and the Central African Republic.
This is why, to this day, these encampments still exist in the countries through which the Hausa passed before reaching the coast of the Red Sea (Bahar al-Ahmar in Arabic).
As explained in the introduction of this article, the Hausa found themselves in Sudan because they failed to reach Mecca to fulfill their religious duty. However, some performed the Hajj and then chose to settle there.
There is also a group of Hausa who fled to Sudan to escape oppressive traditional rulers in their countries of origin.
On the question of whether all Hausa are called by a single name in Sudan, one must look into the history of the word "Sudan" itself. The word 'Sudan' is derived from the Arabic word 'aswad', meaning 'black'.
This term means that Sudan is a land of black people, and from this, it became associated with being the land of all black-skinned people in Africa.
However, the Hausa living in Arab countries rarely call themselves by the name "Hausa". Most prefer to use the word 'Takari', a nickname given to them by Arabs because of the coming and going (trade/pilgrimage) they used to do back in those days.
The situation has reached the point where some of them now also call themselves Takari, and they refer to the region they came from as 'Hausa'.
The Great Migration from Hausaland
There was a large migration of people who left the area within present-day Nigeria and moved to Sudan.
They found Hausa, Fulani, Bare-bari, Zabarmawa, and Kabawa in the area where they settled.
Upon arriving in Sudan, they made efforts to establish towns—some writers say there are now hundreds—and in the old Sudan alone (which included South Sudan), they founded hundreds of villages that have now become towns, such as Muraffa al Thani, Muraffa al Ommda, and Jibir.
In Ethiopia and Eritrea, there are also many towns and villages of Hausa people. Some also went to Somalia and Djibouti, but there are no figures on their numbers there because the authorities in those countries have not conducted a census of all the ethnic groups living there.
The Spread of Hausa People in Sudan
The Hausa community is spread across Sudan, including what is now South Sudan, and they have been there for a very long time.
Among the literature written on Sudan's history, there is a book by Abdallah Majid—a prominent Sudanese historian—in which he states that the Hausa have been in "Gallabat ar Sharqiyya" (the Gedaref region near the Red Sea) for over 1,000 years.
In the Gedaref region, there is a famous town called Halwa, where the Qur'an is taught, and history confirms that the Hausa established this town over 1,000 years ago.
Also, the Hausa founded a large town called Wawu, which is now located in South Sudan.
Of Sudan's 18 states, there is no state without Hausa people, but the states with the largest Hausa populations include Bahr al Ahmar (Red Sea State), Kassala, Gedaref, Jazeera, Damazin, Sinnar, and An Nil al Abyad (White Nile State).
In the south of the country, there are many Hausa in South Kordofan and North Kordofan, and likewise, there are large numbers of Hausa in all three Darfur provinces. There are cities like Kosti, Obayyid, Nialla, and Geneina, which are in the Darfur region and are well-known Hausa towns.
In northern Sudan (Shamaliyya), there are also Hausa, but they are not as numerous.
Which Language is Used in Sudan, and Is Hausa Taught There?
Most of the people who now call themselves Sudanese are descended from intermarriages between the Nuba tribes in the Nile Valley region and migrants from the Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia and Yemen) and North Africa.
However, due to the preference given to Arabic over other languages and cultures, the majority of the country's population now uses Arabic and has Arabized customs.
The major ethnic groups currently in Sudan are: Arabs, Hausa, Nuba, Fur, and Fallata.
Traditional Hausa Chieftaincies in Sudan
The traditional Hausa chieftaincies in Sudan originated from the places where they set up camps—places they stopped at while traveling to or returning from the holy land.
In those days, there was no chieftaincy system like the well-known one in Hausaland with kings and their councils; rather, they would say "so-and-so is the Sarkin Zango (head of the camp) of such-and-such place."
There are towns on the Sudan-Chad border, such as Adukom and Adre, which the Hausa have established for hundreds of years.
Entering Sudan from the Chad border, the first state is West Darfur (Garb Darfur), and there are such places called 'zango' (camps) that were established by the Hausa.
Geneina is the capital of West Darfur state, and to this day, many Hausa people claim that their ancestors founded the town because it lies on the main route to the Red Sea coast.
However, later on, the Hausa began to be given positions of Ommudiyya—a chieftaincy that can be compared to a district head.
Anyone appointed to this position is called an Ommda, and this is when Hausa chieftaincies began to be established across Sudan.
Research by some historians, such as Abdullahi Hamza of Damazin in eastern Sudan, has shown that the Fulani established towns like Rajaaj and Dumsi about 700 years ago, and today, their descendants still rule these towns.
From there, the Hausa moved to another town called Toulus, where Yusuf Ahmad Sammani al Bashar holds the chieftaincy, and he currently holds the position of Sarkin (chief) of all the Fulani in Sudan.
History also shows that in 1924, the British made an agreement with the father of Sarki Sammani al Bashar, after the British killed Ali Dinar in 1916.
The agreement united two parts of the country under the chieftaincy of Sarki Sammani al Bashar's father, and it was at that time that the British consolidated the entire Darfur region into a unified Sudan. This Toulus chieftaincy led the Hausa, Fulani, and Bare-bari in Sudan as a whole for a period of time.
The Chieftaincies of Omdorman and Mayerno
Later, the Hausa established a chieftaincy in Omdorman under the father of a Hausa man named Haroun Wakili—who, at that time, was the representative of the Saudi king, Abdulaziz ibn Saud, in Sudan.
Haroun Wakil was from Bagobiri. His father, Muhammad Ahmad, was the first chief, and after Haroun Wakili's death, his son Ibrahim Gobirawi succeeded him, but he passed away six years ago in 2018.
Sarki Ibrahim Gobirawi's son, Dr. Waheeb, inherited the Omdorman chieftaincy, and today, he is virtually the Sarkin Hausawa (Chief of the Hausa) in all of Sudan.
This chieftaincy was established by the descendants of Shehu Usman Dan Fodio in 1905 after they fled from Wurno. They first set up camp in the town of Sheikh Talha, where they stayed for a year before establishing the town of Mayerno in 1906, naming it in memory of the town they had left—'Wurno'.
The founder of Mayerno was Muhammad Bello, about 120 years ago. It is now in Sennar state in eastern Sudan.
Muhammad Bello was the first son of Sultan Muhammad Tahir, who himself was the son of Sultan Ahmad Zarrouq, who was the son of Abubakar Atiku, who inherited the throne from Muhammad Bello—the son of Shehu Usman Dan Fodio.
After the death of Muhammad Bello (the founder of Mayerno), his son Muhammad Tahir succeeded him, and then his son Muhammadu Bello inherited it.
After Bello's death, his younger brother Sultan Abubakar took over the chieftaincy, and following his death ten years ago, his younger brother Sultan Ali succeeded him and is the current ruler.
Other traditional rulers include Malam Yahya, who is the Sarkin of Kassala and a historian.
There is also the Sardauna of Mayerno, Mustapha Balla Muhammad Tahir Mayerno, son of Sultan Balla, son of Sultan Muhammad Tahir, who was the son of Sultan Attahiru—whom the British killed in 1903 in Burni when they left Sokoto for Sudan.
Do the Hausa Hold Government Positions?
Hausa people who have pursued Western education and have long been involved in government service include Dr. Waheeb Ibrahim Haroun, who is a highly skilled gynecologist working both within and outside Sudan, holding more than five degrees in health fields.
There is a senator named Dr. Maryam Abdulkarim Muhammad Ahmad, who was originally a teacher but entered politics at the state level. She was first elected to the state parliament before later being elected to the national parliament as a senator, making her the first Hausa woman to hold this position in Sudan.
There is also Muhammad Abdallah Bin Jaws, who has long served in diplomacy in the country.
But the most prominent of all the Hausa in Sudan is Fadl Sishshi Ayib, who wanted to lead the country but was unable to do so due to the overthrow of Omar al Bashir's government in 2019. He resigned from his position to run for office.
There is also Jalal Rabeh, who was the minister of the former president Omar al Bashir in the previous government.
There is Muhammad Abdallah, who is Sudan's ambassador to countries like the United Arab Emirates; Abdallah Muhammad Musa; and Al Tayyib Rabeh, who are Sudanese senators.
There is also Muhammad Sharaqaddeen, who is a justice of the Supreme Court of Sudan.
Currently, many young Hausa are receiving Western education, and thousands of them work in government services, including the military and police.
Occupations of the Hausa in Sudan
Just as is known of the Hausa in Hausaland, in Sudan, the Hausa have also retained the occupations for which they and their ancestors were known.
The main occupations of the Hausa include farming, livestock herding, trade, and the study and teaching of Islam, such as Qur'anic instruction.
Some also work in labor jobs like construction, loading goods, laundry, cleaning, and driving. However, modernization has led them to adopt modern professions like office and government work. There are also many who have entered politics and advanced quite far.
There are also many Hausa who have joined the police and military, in addition to those working in telecommunications companies like Sudani, Zain, and Areeba.
There are also women specializing in preparing Hausa dishes like tuwo and miyar taushe, as well as Arab dishes like tuwon gero (millet porridge) with tagaliyya sauce (aseeda), kisre, fuul, and a type of bean cake called da'amiyya.
There are prominent and lesser-known Western-educated teachers in Sudan, as well as doctors and major traders like Abubakar Idris (Abu Zaituna).
There are also renowned Islamic scholars like Sheikh Abdullahi Hamza of Damazin, from Blue Nile state, who is a Tijjaniyya Sufi scholar.
The Hausa of Sudan also have theater groups across the country where they showcase their culture and talents. Among the notable actors are Abu Nujoom and his group.
In terms of music and singing, the Hausa are not left behind. There are famous Hausa singers like Abdurraheem Wad al Gadaref, who still sings in the Hausa language. However, others like Babiker Hindi and Maryam, daughter of Andalus, mix it up—performing some songs in Arabic and others in Hausa.
Customs of the Hausa in Sudan
The Hausa of Sudan are divided into two groups: those who live exclusively in their own communities after arriving in the country, and those who have intermingled with the Arabs.
The Hausa who live solely in their towns have maintained the customs of their relatives in Nigeria and Niger, but those who have integrated into Arab society follow Arab customs.
For example, the Hausa who follow their ancestors' customs hold naming ceremonies and weddings just as is done in Nigeria and Niger. Seven days after birth, the child is given a name, and circumcision is performed as in the land of their ancestors.
A woman who gives birth for the first time goes to her parents' home, and the baby's head is shaved on the naming day.
As for the Hausa who have integrated with the Arabs, they do not hold naming ceremonies after seven days, do not shave the baby's head on the naming day, and do not send the woman to her parents' home after childbirth, even if it is her first birth.
In terms of food, the Hausa eat all the dishes their western relatives eat, such as tuwo, fura, nono (milk), kunu, and others.
Interestingly, in Sudan, the Hausa are famous for processing meat and turning it into balangu or tsire (grilled meat). However, there it is not called tsire but rather 'gashe'.
But some Hausa who have adopted Arab customs eat their foods, which include eyish (bread), aseeda, kisre, and laban (milk).
In terms of clothing, it is rare to find a Hausa person in Sudan wearing traditional gowns like the babban riga, trousers, kaftan, or 'yar shara for men, and women do not often wear the zannuwa (wrapper) typical of Hausa women.
Most men prefer to wear Arab clothing, namely the white jallabiyya with wide sleeves and a turban (rawani), while their women wear the tobe—which the Bare-bari women tie and is commonly known as lafaya.
Wedding Ceremonies
The Hausa intermarry with other Sudanese tribes like the Arabs, but as mentioned earlier, some follow Arab customs, which involve very high expenses.
However, there is a difference in how the two groups conduct marriages—the Hausa usually provide their daughters with dowry/bridewealth (kayan aure)—but the Arabs do not do this, because in their culture, it is the man who provides the dowry, and the bride comes to his house without bringing anything.
Muhammad Cisse