's visit in February 1934. His
Swissair Fokker F.VIIb-3 m (CH-192) is in the background. In 1834, the
Egyptian Army established Kassala as a garrison town following its conquest of Sudan in 1821. When the
Mahdist state was established, the Egyptian garrison in Kassala found itself besieged by Mahdist forces. Under the terms of the 1884
Hewett Treaty, Abyssinian forces led by
Ras Alula attempted to rescue the Egyptians. Although Ras Alula successfully defeated the Mahdists at the
Battle of Kufit, he was unable to breach Kassala’s defenses and liberate the Egyptians. In 1886, after prolonged resistance, the Egyptian garrison finally surrendered to the Mahdists under
Osman Digna. On July 17, 1894, Italy annexed Kassala to
Italian Eritrea. The Italians fortified the town and brought stability to the region by successfully defeating the Mahdists at the
Battle of Kassala. However, Italy's defeat at the
Battle of Adwa in 1896 forced the Italians to evacuate the town after failing to hold it until the arrival of advancing Anglo-Egyptian forces, who re-occupied Kassala and incorporated it into
Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. on July 4, 1940 the Italians started their offensive with 2,500 men (and one brigade of cavalry) supported by 24 tanks, while to defend Kassala for Britain there were 1,300 colonial soldiers with their British officers who -after some initial heavy fighting- were easily defeated. In mid-January 1941, the Italians withdrew from the city and a British garrison returned. In 2003, Kassala's population was estimated at 530,950 inhabitants. The town is ethnically diverse, comprising groups such as the
Beja,
Beni-Amer,
Amarar,
Bishari,
Rashaida, and Halanga, as well as significant immigrant communities from northern and western Sudan, including the
Fula and
Nuba peoples. The
Ethiopian-Eritrean War (1998–2000) displaced an estimated 110,000 Eritreans refugees to the Kassala area, particularly from the border towns of
Barentu and
Teseney, which were overrun by the
Ethiopian Army. In 2025, during the
Sudanese civil war (2023-present), Kassala had been involved in conflict for the first time since the war began 2 years ago. The RSF attacked Kassala with drones on 3 May 2025. The attack targeted the fuel storage area at the
Kassala Airport. This attack marks the second furthest drone attack by the RSF from controlled areas by the RSF. RSF later attacked
Port Sudan. ==Climate==