Background
Ahmed was born on January 1, 1931, at Kamlin, 60 miles south of Khartoum.
Ahmed was born on January 1, 1931, at Kamlin, 60 miles south of Khartoum.
Educated locally, he then studied economics and history at Khartoum University and graduated from the school of administration in 1955.
After joining government service in 1955 he became an assistant district officer in Darfur Province and rose to be an inspector. During his first five years he passed his law examinations and obtained a diploma in public administration from Birmingham University, England. In 1960 he was promoted secretary-general of the Nile Waters Control Committee at Khartoum.
His next post was director-general of the Industrial Development Corporation, running cardboard and dried onion factories at Kassala. Then he was appointed deputy director of the Industrial Development Corporation at Khartoum.
In 1967 he rejoined the Ministry of the Interior as commissioner for refugees, organising homes for returning Sudanese exiles and helping citizens of neighbouring countries seeking temporary asylum in the South. Three years later he was promoted Secretary-General to the Council of Ministers with the rank of under-secretary, then on July 17, 1971 he received the rank of deputy minister.
Trained administrator who has run state enterprises and organised refugee centres in the South. A trusted top-level technocrat able to produce order out of chaos even in circumstances which would defeat many people. Naturally a man of great patience and persistence.