Flag of Sudan - Colors, Meaning, History ??

The flag of Sudan consists of three horizontal lines of red, white, and black with a green triangle cutting through the stripes from the hoist. This flag was officially adopted on May 20th, 1970, and has been in use ever since.

History of the Flag of Sudan

The current flag of Sudan consists of colors that are derived from the Pan-Arab colors. Before this flag, other flags were in use. In 1881, for instance, at the beginning of the Mahdist War, Mahdi Muhammad Ahmad gave one of his Califs Abdallahi ibn Muhammad (also known as the Khalifa) a black flag. The Khalifa used this flag to recruit the Baggara Arabs plus other tribes from the Western region of the country. Other Mahdist flags were hoisted in the area. Moreover, historians note that Mahdi’s sons had a banner with blue and white colors.

During the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan era, 1899 to 1956, the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan was governed jointly under British rule. At the time, the flag of Egypt and the flag of Britain were hoisted together with the flag of Britain taking precedence. The Egyptian flag changed several times during the condominium period. There was a time when a flag with a red background, a white crescent, and a star was hoisted in the Anglo-Egypt-Sudan territory. Between 1914 to 1923, the flag consisted of a red background with three white stars and a white crescent. Between 1923 to 1954, the flag consisted of a green background with one white crescent and three white stars. Later on, the British governor-general of Sudan adopted a variant flag for the territory. This flag consisted of a union jack defaced with a white disk with the words, “governor-general of Sudan,” surrounded by a wreath of laurel.

Many Sudanese people were against the Anglo-Egyptian-Sudan condominium. In 1924, for instance, a white flag league hoisted their flag in revolt. The flag consisted of a white background with the Nile cutting across the background. At the upper left corner was a green insignia with a white crescent and three white stars. A Mahdist flag also appeared in Sudan and consisted of the tri-colors black, red, green with a white crescent at the center, and a white arrow crossing the crescent. A later variant of the Mahdist flag was adopted with the emblem appearing at the upper right corner.

On January 1, 1956, the British and Egyptian flags were lowered, and Sudan adopted their first national flag. The design of the first flag was officially approved by the house of representatives on December 31, 1955. It consisted of three horizontal stripes of blue, yellow, and green, which represented the river Nile, Sahara, and agriculture. In 1969, the Arab Nationalist Regime was officially announced. A new flag was adopted on May 20th, 1970, which combined the Pan Arab colors that appear in the Arab Liberation Flag and the Arab Revolt Flag.

What is the meaning behind the colors of the Flag of Sudan?

Colors

The color black represents the Al-Mahdi movement that played a significant role in the shaping of Sudan. The name Sudan means black, as well.
White represents the 1924 revolutionary flag that was used by the White League. It symbolizes peace and optimism.
Red represents the bloodshed of the martyrs as well as progress and socialism.
Green is a symbol of Islam and represents prosperity.

There are several unofficial meanings of the flag. To some, black represents darkness due to the civil war and the tensions that have plagued the region for years. Red represents the bloodshed resulting from the multi-ethnic divisions, while green symbolizes the power of the leaders.

Shape
The flag consists of a length to width ratio of 1:2. The horizontal stripes are of similar shape. The triangle consists of two equal sides that are one-third the length of the flag. The base of the flag is the width of the hoist.

Emblem
The national flag does not have an emblem, yet the president of the country uses variations of the flag. The only difference between these flags is the emblem. In one flag, the symbol is yellow, whereas, in the other, the emblem is black. Moreover, the presidential flag has the national coat of arms, which consists of a secretary bird with the native shield on its breast. Above the coat of arms is the motto, “Victory is Ours,” written in Arabic. Below the bird is the phrase, Jumhuriyat as-Sudan ad-Dimuqratiyah (The Democratic Republic of Sudan).

The shield on the coat of arms dates back to the time of Muhammad Ahmad. The Secretary bird was selected as a variant of Egypt’s ‘Eagle of Saladin,’ and the ‘Hawk of Quraish,’ of the Syrian Republic. Moreover, the coat of arms is a symbol of Arab nationalism.

Interesting Facts about the Flag of Sudan

The current flag was designed by Abd al-Raḥman Aḥmad al-Jali. The design was selected from a nationally held flag competition.
The flag is similar to the Arab Liberation Flags in Syria, Yemen, Iraq
The use of the initial banner after independence briefly resurfaced in the 2018-2019 Sudan protests. People who are against the current regime view the original flag as a symbol of solidarity.
The colors black, red, green that appear on the flag also appeared on the 19th-century flag of the Mahdist regime. The three colors are viewed as a symbol of Arab Unity and independence
The Split of the entire Sudan to North and South Sudan in 2005 resulted in each territory adopting their flag. The flag of South Sudan is similar to the flag in the North, with the only difference being the replacement of the white stripe with a red stripe.
Also, instead of a green triangle, the flag of South Sudan has a blue triangle with a yellow star at its center. The North (Republic of Sudan) is majorly inhabited by Muslims, whereas the South consists of non-Muslims.
Between 1894 and 1906, there was a flag for the Lado enclave, which was labeled as Congo Free State by the British. The territory had its flag that consisted of a blue background with a yellow x-shaped stripe appearing at the center, dividing the flag to triangles. Each of the triangles had a yellow five-pointed star. The territory was returned to Sudan in 1910.
The name Sudan is short for bilād as-sūdān, which in Arabic means “Land of the Blacks.”
The decision to change the flag in 1969 was pursued by the then Military leader Gaafar Nimeiry who came to power in 1969 after a military coup.

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