Sudanese

Alek Wek is a South Sudanese-British designer and model. Since making her fashion debut at the age of 18, Alek has been an influential figure in the world of fashion; she has been praised for redefining beauty and altering the perception of beauty within the fashion industry. In 2015, she was included in the BBC's 100 Women list.

Known for his 7’ 7” frame, Manute Bol made headlines as one of the tallest NBA players ever. Born in Sudan, he was initially a soccer player but quit it because of his height. He later moved to the US to represent basketball teams such as the Golden State Warriors.

Sudanese rebel leader Salva Kiir Mayardit became the first president of South Sudan. In 2020, he signed an agreement with opposition leader and current vice president Riek Machar to share power and create a unified government, putting an end to a brutal civil war that has seen mass rapes and murders.

Revolutionary leader and president of Southern Sudan John Garang was the man behind the term "Sudanism," which promoted cohesiveness among the people of Sudan. Orphaned at 10, he completed his education on scholarships but later rejected an offer from UCB to go to Tanzania. He died in a helicopter crash.

Omar al-Bashir is a Sudanese politician who served as the seventh president of Sudan. A former military officer, he is the founder of the National Congress Party that remained the dominant political party in the country until 2019. He was deposed in a coup d'état the same year and subsequently arrested and convicted on multiple corruption charges.

One of the most influential Sudanese authors, Tayeb Salih was born into a farming community and had thus aspired to work in agriculture. However, he became a journalist later and worked with al Majalla and BBC. His works such as The Wedding of Zein mirror the intricacies of African life.

Born to a Sudanese shipbuilder, Muhammad Ahmad grew up to become a Sufi religious leader. His war against the Ottoman-Egyptian rule and his capture of Khartoum led him to establish a vast Islamic state. Named the first Mahdi, he was one of the rare African rulers to defeat the British.

The son of Tewfik I of the Muhammad Ali dynasty, Mohammed Ali Tewfik was the uncle of Farouk I and his regent. After the declaration of Egypt as a republic, he spent the rest of his life in exile. He loved horse breeding and also penned a book on the subject.

Egyptian revolutionary Muhammad Naguib was one of the pillars of the 1952 Egyptian Revolution and had a major role in the ouster of King Farouk I. A military man, he was the country’s war and navy minister. He also served as the 1st president of Egypt and its prime minister.