Suakin Expedition facts for kids
The Suakin Expedition was a series of military trips by British and Indian soldiers to a place called Suakin in Sudan. These trips happened during the Mahdist War, a big conflict in Sudan. The main goal was to stop a powerful Sudanese leader named Osman Digna and his army. Major-General Sir Gerald Graham led these expeditions. There were two main expeditions: one in February 1884 and another in March 1885.
First Suakin Expedition: 1884
The first expedition happened in February 1884. It led to some important wins for the British forces. These included battles like the Second Battle of El Teb and the Battle of Tamai. These victories helped the British gain control in the area for a short time.
Second Suakin Expedition: 1885
After the city of Khartoum fell on January 26, 1885, General Graham led a second expedition. This one took place in March 1885. Sometimes, people called this group the Suakin Field Force. Their main jobs were to defeat the forces of Mahdist leader Osman Digna in that area. They also had to protect the building of a new railway line, the Suakin-Berber Railway.
Just one week after arriving in Suakin, the expedition fought two battles. These were the Battle of Hashin on March 20, and the Battle of Tofrek on March 22.
Later, soldiers from the New South Wales Contingent joined the British force. They arrived in Suakin on March 29. However, within two months, the British government, led by Prime Minister Gladstone, decided to stop both the railway project and the military campaign in Sudan. General Graham and his Suakin Field Force left the city on May 17, 1885. Even after this, Britain kept a presence in Suakin from 1886 to 1888. During this time, a military officer named Herbert Kitchener acted as the Governor General for Eastern Sudan.
