Sudan
Country in NE Africa, bounded N by Egypt, NE by the Red Sea, E by
Ethiopia and Eritrea, S by Kenya, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic
of Congo (formerly Zaire), W by the Central African Republic and Chad,
and NW by Libya. It is the largest country in Africa.
Government
The 1973 constitution was suspended after a military coup in 1985 and
a Transitional Military Council established, charged with the task of
producing a new constitution and, after a further transitional period,
of declaring itself a parliament, subject to election every four years.
A further military coup in 1989 installed a Revolutionary Command Council.
In 1992 a 300-member interim national assembly was formed, prior to
the holding of free elections, but the army retained ultimate control.
In 1991 a federal system was introduced, the country being divided
into nine states, each with a high degree of autonomy.
History
The Sudan, as it was called, achieved independence as a republic in
1956. Two years later a coup ousted the civil administration, and a
military government was set up; in 1964 this was overthrown and civilian
rule was reinstated. Five years later the army returned in a coup led
by Col Gaafar Muhammad Nimeri. All political bodies were abolished,
the Revolutionary Command Council set up, and the country's name changed
to the Democratic Republic of Sudan. Close links were established with
Egypt, and in 1970 an agreement in principle was reached for eventual
union. In 1972 this should have become, with the addition of Syria,
the Federation of Arab Republics, but internal opposition blocked both
developments. In 1971 a new constitution was adopted, Nimeri confirmed
as president, and the Sudanese Socialist Union declared the only party.
Regional Problems
The most serious problem confronting Nimeri was open aggression between
the Muslim north and the chiefly Christian south, which dated back to
1955. At a conference in Addis Ababa in 1972 he granted the three southern
provinces a considerable degree of autonomy, but fighting continued.
Nimeri turned to the West, and the USA, for support. By 1974 he had
established a national assembly, but his position still relied on army
backing. In 1983 he was re-elected for a third term, but regional problems
persisted.
Islamic Law
Nimeri imposed strict Islamic law (Shari'a) throughout the country
in 1983, alienating the south and prompting the creation of a rebel
Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM). The government's economic
policies contributed to the widespread civil unrest. In 1985 military
incursions by the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), the military
wing of the SPLM, into the Nuba hills in S Kordofan Province set the
Baggara Arabs (mainly cattle herders) against the Nuba (mainly farmers),
creating tens of thousands of Nuba refugees.
Military Takeover
In March 1985 a general strike was provoked by a sharp devaluation
of the Sudanese pound and an increase in bread prices. Nimeri was in
the USA when army mutiny threatened. One of his supporters, General
Swar al-Dahab, took over in a bloodless coup. He set up a 15-member
Transitional Military Council and held elections for a legislative assembly
in April 1986, contested by more than 40 parties, the three most significant
being the Islamic-nationalist New National Umma Party (NNUP), which
won 99 seats; the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), 63 seats; and the
fundamentalist National Islamic Front (NIF), 51 seats. A coalition government
was formed, with Ahmed Ali El-Mirghani (DUP) as president of the Supreme
Council and Sadiq al- Mahdi (NNUP) as prime minister. The new assembly
was given the task of drafting a permanent constitution. Strikes and
shortages persisted, with inflation running at about 100% and the highest
national debt in Africa. A virtual civil war had broken out between
the army and the SPLA in the south, where drought, famine, and an influx
of refugees from neighbouring states had aggravated the situation, and
in July 1987 a state of emergency was declared.
In April 1988 the prime minister announced the second break-up of
his coalition government of national unity. A new coalition was formed
in May, including the NNUP, DUP, and NIF. In Dec 1988 the signing of
a peace agreement with the SPLA, led by John Garang de Mabior, threatened
to split the coalition and eventually led to a military takeover by
General Ahmed el-Bashir in July 1989. El-Bashir established a 15- member
Revolutionary Command Council with himself as head of state and government,
the military having foiled the second attempt in six months to restore
former strongman Gaafar Nimeri to power.
Escalating Civil Strife
Bashir's government arrested al- Mahdi and announced that its first
priority was to bring an end to the six -year war between the Muslim
north and the Christian and animist south. As part of an effort to do
so, it announced that the country would be divided into nine provinces,
under a federal system. However, fighting continued, with a new SPLA
offensive, and there were reports of mounting casualties in the SE,
where Islamic fundamentalist government forces were engaged in a ruthless
campaign against the largely Christian and animist population. Early
in 1992 the government declared a jihad (holy war) against the Nuba,
and 163,000 were subjected to forced relocation.
There were reports of a split within the rebel SPLA 1991 and in May
1992 two SPLA faction leaders, John Garang and Riek Machar, entered
into peace negotiations with the military government. In Oct 1993 the
military council was replaced by a civilian government, but the army
retained ultimate control. SPLA leaders Garang and Machar agreed to
a cease-fire early 1995, but hostilities later renewed and there were
reports of systematic abuse of human rights by all parties. In all,
1-3 million were killed in political violence 1983-94; an estimated
700,000 people were internally displaced by 1994.
The first presidential and parliamentary elections since the military
coup were held March 1996.
Citing Sudan's support for terrorism, the USA in Nov 1997 imposed
economic sanctions that included a ban on bank loans and seizure of
Sudanese assets in the USA. US President Bill Clinton also signed an
order banning shipment of American technology to Sudan and import of
its goods.
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