Politics of Sudan

Politics of Sudan
Member State of the Arab League
Constitution 4 August 2019 Draft Constitutional Declaration (2019–2021)
Executive Transitional Sovereignty Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan Deputy Chairman Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo Acting Prime Minister Osman Hussein Cabinet
Legislature Transitional Legislative Council
Judiciary Constitutional Court Supreme Court Chief Justice Nemat Abdullah Khair Court of Cassation Public Court District Courts Town and rural courts
Administrative divisions States Governors Eastern Sudan States Coordinating Council Abyei Area Interim Security Force (UNISFA) Districts
Elections Recent elections General: 2010 2015 next Political parties
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs Minister: Mariam al-Mahdi Diplomatic missions of / in Sudan Passport Visa requirements Visa policy Foreign aid
Related topics United Nations (UN) in Sudan Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) African Union and UN in Sudan Darfur operation (UNAMID) Human rights ICC investigation Khartoum massacre investigation National Human Rights Commission
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The politics of Sudan takes place in the framework of a federal provisional government. Previously, a president was head of state, head of government, and commander-in-chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces in a de jure multi-party system. Legislative power was officially vested in the government and in the two chambers, the National Assembly (lower) and the Council of States (higher), of the bicameral National Legislature. The judiciary is independent and obtained by the Constitutional Court.^[1] Following the Second Sudanese Civil War and the War in Darfur, Sudan was recognized as a totalitarian state where all effective political power was held by President Omar al-Bashir and their National Congress Party (NCP).^[2][3][4][5] Al-Bashir and NCP were ousted in a military coup which occurred on April 11, 2019.^[6][7] The government of Sudan was then led by the Transitional Military Council or TMC.^{[8][9][10][11]} On 20 August 2019, TMC dissolved giving its authority over to the Sovereignty Council of Sudan, who were planned to govern for 39 months until 2022, in the process of transitioning to democracy. The Sovereignty Council and the Sudanese government were dissolved in October 2021.^[12]

History[edit | edit source]

The political system of Sudan was restructured following a military coup on 30 June 1989, when Omar al-Bashir, then a brigadier in the Sudanese Army, led a group of officers and ousted the government of Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi. Under al-Bashir's leadership, the military government suspended political parties and introduced an Islamic legal code on the national level.^[13] They then became Chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council for National Salvation (a body with legislative and executive powers for what was described as a transitional period), and assumed the posts of chief of state, prime minister, chief of the armed forces, and minister of defense.^[14] After institutionalizing Sharia law in the northern part of the country along with Hassan al-Turabi, al-Bashir issued purges and executions in the upper ranks of the army, the banning of associations, political parties, and independent newspapers and the imprisonment of leading political figures and journalists.^[15] In 1993, Sudan transformed into an Islamic totalitarian one-party state as al-Bashir abolished the Revolutionary Command Council and created the National Islamic Front (NIF) with a parliament and government obtained solely by members of NIF, and proclaimed themselves President of Sudan. As a result, the Second Sudanese Civil War with the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) would escalate in the following years.^[16][17]

Following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005 between the government of Omar al-Bashir and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), a Government of National Unity was installed in accordance with the Interim Constitution whereby a co-Vice President position representing the south was created in addition to the northern Sudanese vice president. This allowed the north and south to split oil deposits equally.^[18]

Following the Darfur Peace Agreement, the office of senior presidential advisor, the fourth highest constitutional post, was allocated to Minni Minnawi, a Zaghawa of the Darfur-based Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA). Executive posts were divided between the National Congress Party (NCP), the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), Eastern Front and factions of the Umma Party and Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). This peace agreement with SPLM/A granted Southern Sudan autonomy for six years, to be followed by a referendum about independence in 2011. According to the 2005 constitution, the bicameral National Legislature is the official Sudanese parliament, and is divided between two chambers; the National Assembly, a lower house with 450 seats, and the Council of States, an upper house with 50 seats. Thus the parliament consists of 500 appointed members altogether, where all are indirectly elected by state legislatures to serve six-year terms.^[1]

Omar al-Bashir was re-elected in the 2010 Sudanese presidential election, the first democratic election with multiple political parties participating in nine years.^[19][20] Their political rival was Vice President Salva Kiir Mayardit, leader of SPLA.^[21][22]

On April 11, 2019, al-Bashir and their government were overthrown in a military coup led by their first vice president and defense minister, who then established a military junta.^[8][6][9][7] The next day Auf handed power to Lt. General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan.^{[11][10][23][24]}

Sudan’s Sovereign Council, the military-civilian body that is the highest power in the transitional government, has ruled Sudan since the fall of Omar al-Bashir. Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok is the civilian leader of the cabinet.^[25]

In October 2020, Sudan made an agreement to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel, as part of the agreement the United States removed Sudan from the U.S. list of State Sponsors of Terrorism.^[26]

As of August 2021, the country was jointly led by the chairman of the Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok.^[27]

On 25 October 2021, the Sovereignty Council and the Sudanese government were dissolved after being overthrown in the 2021 Sudan coup.^[28][29]

Political parties and elections[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

• Corruption in Sudan
• Human rights in Sudan
• Sudanese peace process
• 2011–13 protests in Sudan
• 2019 Sudanese transition to democracy
• Sudanese Sovereignty Council
• Sudanese coup d'état

References[edit | edit source]

External links[edit | edit source]

• Sudan Government at Curlie