The national emblem of Sudan was adopted in 1969. It shows a Secretary Bird bearing a shield from the time of Muhammad ibn Abdalla, the self-proclaimed Mahdi who briefly ruled Sudan in the 19th century.
Two scrolls are placed on the arms; the upper one displays the national motto, (“Victory is ours”), and the lower one displays the title of the state, (“Republic of Sudan”).
The coat of arms is also the Presidential seal and is found in gold on the flag of the President of Sudan and on the vehicles carrying the President and at his residence.
The secretary bird was chosen as a distinctively Sudanese and indigenous variant of the “Eagle of Saladin” and “Hawk of Qureish” seen in the emblems of some Arab states, and associated with Arab nationalism.