The ‘Immortal’ Osman Digna

Osman Digna c.1899

Demonised by some but highly respected by others, Osman Digna (sometimes spelt ‘Uthman Diqna) was a Mahdist leader who remained a thorn in the side of the British in Sudan for almost two decades during the late Victorian period. He was, perhaps, the ablest commander of the Ansar – the Mahdist army – who, despite numerous defeats, refused to give up the jihad against the Anglo-Egyptian authorities. Although largely forgotten in the West today, he is remembered as a hero by m...