Biography.guide
Home › People › Politician › Alshafi Ahmed Elshikh
Portrait of Alshafi Ahmed Elshikh

Alshafi Ahmed Elshikh

1924 – 1971

Sudanese labor organizer

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Alshafi Ahmed Elshikh

Lived 1924 – 1971 (aged 47). Alshafi Ahmed Elshikh was a Sudanese politician.

El-Shafie Ahmed el-Sheikh ( ; 2 May 1924 – 28 July 1971) was Secretary-General of the Sudanese General Federation of Workers' Trade Unions (SWTUF), member of the executive committee of ICATU and vice-president of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU). He was awarded Lenin Peace Prize "For strengthening of peace among peoples" in 1970. After the failed attempt coup in 1971, he was hanged by Nimeiry's government.

Biography El-Shafia Ahmed el-Sheikh was born on 2 May 1924 in Shendi, River Nile State, in the Ja'alin tribe. el-Sheikh graduated from a craft school in the city Atbara, then he worked as a railway worker and in railway workshops.

Trade union el-Sheikh took an active part in the labour and communist movement in Sudan. In 1947, he participated in the creation of the first railway workers' union in Sudan, he became its secretary general and laid the foundations for the future General Federation of Workers' Trade Unions of the Sudan. In 1948, he was appointed Assistant Secretary General of the Federation. Before he turned 24, in 1948, he was selected as Assistant Secretary General of Sudanese Trade Unions. He worked to establish links between the Sudanese labour movement and the international and Arab labor movements. He later became the Secretary-General of the Sudanese General Federation of Workers' Trade Unions (SWTUF), member of the executive committee of International Confederation of Arab Trade Unions.

He was elected in 1957 as a Vice President of the World Federation of Trade Unions as the youngest trade union leader to assume this global responsibility. In 1964, he was again elected Assistant Secretary General to the President of the Sudan Workers Union by 55 unions. He was awarded the International Peace Medal while he was in prison, which he was able to receive after his release in 1964, when 55 trade unions re-elected him as Assistant Secretary General of the Federation of Workers' Trade Unions of Sudan. for the period from October 1964 to February 1965.

Since 1965, el-Sheikh has been selected as a member of World Peace Council. Since June 1967, he has headed the Sudanese Committee for the Protection of the Rights of Arab Peoples, formed in response to Six-Day war.

Prosecution We were at peace The Wadi high in uproar Hantoub high protested Tagat high got in higher drunk We are at peace Inside a park Oh ya oh ya Comrade Wasila sing us the tunes of struggle Safr (He just left) Hamz al-Jack revolted and we are his followers Safr Tomorrow el-Shafie will break his chains Safr God bless Korea and the young of Korea Oh ya oh ya — Abdullahi A.Ibrahim — Bolshevize it, O God and Joseph Garang) in involvement in the coup attempt. He was imprisoned and tortured in Kobar prison. He was sentenced him to death by a military tribunal on 26 July 1971. According to the Radio Omdurman, the verdict was approved by General Nimeiri.

Aftermath Following the executions, the Sudanese government dissolved several trade union federations and their affiliated unions, including the Sudanese General Federation of Workers' Trade Unions, the Sudanese General Federation of Employees, and the Sudanese General Federation of Teachers' Trade Unions. The government argues that this dissolution was carried out with the consent of certain trade union organizations to reorganize the trade unions under new legislation. The International Labour Organization (ILO) Committee highlights that such actions by the executive branch, without ensuring the right to defense, violate trade union rights. The newly enacted Trade Unions Act imposes limitations on the formation of multiple unions within a sector, creating a trade union monopoly that contradicts the principles of freedom of association. The ILO Committee recommends deferring further examination of the case until the government provides its response to additional allegations and information presented by the World Federation of Trade Unions.

On 2 May 2007, Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim, el-Sheikh wife and a prominent member of the Sudanese Communist Party and a parliamentarian, was suspended from participating in parliamentary sessions for a month and was denied her allowances. This decision was made after she physically attacked , a representative of the National Congress Party (NCP), during a session. Fatima accused him of being responsible for the torture and murder of her husband, el-Sheikh. The incident caused chaos, with some demanding Fatima's expulsion from the Assembly. However, the first deputy speaker, Atem Garang, insisted on following the proper procedures. The Communist Party distanced itself from Fatima's actions, stating that they were her personal behavior. The NCP condemned the incident, and the Assembly launched an investigation, expressing concerns about potential negative portrayal of Sudan in the international media.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Positions held
Minister
Awards
Lenin Peace Prize; World Peace Council prizes
Also known as
Shafia Ahmed al-Sheikh, El-Shafie Ahmed el-Sheikh

People in Alshafi Ahmed Elshikh's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Alshafi Ahmed Elshikh's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Alshafi Ahmed Elshikh?

Sudanese labor organizer

When was Alshafi Ahmed Elshikh born?

Alshafi Ahmed Elshikh was born on 2 May 1924 in Sudan.

When did Alshafi Ahmed Elshikh die?

Alshafi Ahmed Elshikh died on 26 July 1971 in Khartoum.

What was Alshafi Ahmed Elshikh's occupation?

Alshafi Ahmed Elshikh was a politician.

What nationality was Alshafi Ahmed Elshikh?

Alshafi Ahmed Elshikh was Sudanese.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Alshafi Ahmed Elshikh

· Wikidata: Q12189035

· DBpedia: El-Shafie Ahmed el-Sheikh

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Alshafi Ahmed Elshikh. https://biography.guide/alshafi-ahmed-elshikh/

MLA: "Alshafi Ahmed Elshikh." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/alshafi-ahmed-elshikh/.

Chicago: "Alshafi Ahmed Elshikh." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/alshafi-ahmed-elshikh/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:19 UTC