Postage stamps and postal history of French Sudan Postage stamps and postal history of French Sudan French Sudan (Soudan Francais) was established in the late nineteenth century and occupied roughly the same territory as modern Mali. From 1894 to 1902, the colony of French Sudan used the general issues of the French colonies (Alpheus Dubois and Group types) with the name of the colony. In 1903, the group-type stamps were marked "SENEGAMBIA AND NIGER", the new name of the colony. In 1906, new stamps were issued marked "Upper Senegal and Niger", a state which came into existence in 1904, with varied illustrations including colonial personalities: General Louis Faidherbe
Slavery in Sudan kingdoms' fall in 1504, the Ottomans conquered most of Nubia, while the Funj conquered much of modern day Sudan from Darfur to Khartoum ; the Funj began to use slaves in the army in the reign of Badi III (r. 1692-1711). Later, Egyptian slavers began raiding modern South Sudan. In particular, the ruler Muhammad Ali of Egypt attempted to build up an army of Southern Sudanese slaves with the aid of the Nubian slavers. Attempts to ban slavery were later attempted by colonial British authorities in 1899, after they conquered the region. According to British explorer (and abolitionist) Samuel Baker,