The fall of Dongola was a shock to the Khalifa and his followers in Omdurman, as it immediately placed their capital under threat.
The sudden advance of the river force and uncertainty about whether he would be reinforced by the Kordofan Army prompted the Mahdist commander in Berber, Zeki Osman, to abandon the town on 24 August, and it was occupied by the Egyptians on 5 September [REF].