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| The History of The Sudan |
| PRE INDEPENDENCE ERA: |
Prior to the Egyptian expedition to the Sudan in the modern era, the country was divided into different separated states .At the same period the colonial interests were focusing on the Sudan and started by discovery expeditions to prepare for the invasion of the Sudan, where James Bross discovered the Blue Nile source in Ethiopia in (1112 Higri –1770 AD). During this period there were three main kingdoms in the Sudan including the Islamic Fong kingdom, the Fur kingdom in Darfer and Tagaly kingdom in western Sudan. There were fightings, wars and conflicts between these three kingdoms. On the other side, Egypt in the north was working to establish a modern state under the leadership of Mohamed Ali Basha whose wars revealed to him his needs for larger resources to complete the establishment of the modern state. So he thought of the expansion to the south to invade the Sudan and discover the gold mines and diamonds in addition to recruitment of Sudanese men in the Egyptian army and to discover the Nile sources and make it secure. The Egyptian expedition started in 1235higri -1820AD though the Egyptian army faced no resistance except in some parts on the north and in Kurdufan, in areas under the authority of Darfur sultanate and in Sinnar. In the 19th of January 1899 the agreement of the condominium rule of the Sudan was signed by Cromer and the Egyptian foreign minister Botros Ghali stipulating the joint British and Egyptian Hegemony on the Sudan. |
THE SUDANESE NATIONAL MOVEMENTS: |
| The Mahdist movement under the leadership of Mohamed Ahmed Almahadi had a significant role in mobilising the national passion and feelings of the Sudanese people. There were also some tribal and national movements at that time, but they were very weak and the connection between the Sudanese people themselves was also weak which made these movements loose their strength and ability to have an effect. But the National People Movement was strengthening and affected by events in Egypt that took place after the first world war and the 1919 revolution .So for the first time in the Sudan the secret movements activities appeared, calling for revolution and demanding independence, this issue had spread among the Sudanese people. Anew cultured and educated class of people emerged while a large number of the Sudanese people were affected by the patriotic feeling and belief which dominated the concept of every one and which was initiated by the Egyptians working in the Sudan who were affected by the 1919 revolution. Meanwhile Britain worked to deepen the concept of the (Sudan for the Sudanese). In 1921 a secret association was formed named the Sudanese Union .Its members were the Students of Gordon college (now the University of Khartoum) which was under the administration of the colonialism, Meanwhile the white Brigade movement was formed and it was established by Ali Abdullatif, This movement played a vital role in the 1924 revolution while the national movement had called for unity with Egypt .On its side Britain called on its supporters from the tribal leaders to confront this movement . Due to the violence practiced byt the British expedition against the revolutionists and the terrorist mehods of suppressing them, the Sudanese resort to the secret activities against colonialism and patriotism grew among the cultured class and was affected by different motives. Meanwhile the Egyptian army withdrew from Sudan for the second time in December 1924 AD after the assassination of sir le Stack, the governor general of the Sudan in Egypt, which sparkled a great unrest in the Sudan. In February 1938 AD the graduate’s congress was established comprising a great number of members from the cultured and educated people .It started its activities by providing social services then transferred to the political work and called on for the independence of the Sudan. Meanwhile, following the return of the Egyptian army to the Sudan, Britain worked for the issue of separating the Sudan from Egypt from one side and the separation of northern Sudan from its South from another side. The 1936 agreement between Egypt and Britain had focused on the condominium agreement which was signed in 1899 AD and stipulated that the governance of Sudan should remain shared between the two countries though Egypt tried to cancel this agreement and realize unity between the Sudan and Egypt. long negotiations took place and then Egypt presented the case to the security council in 1947 AD which abstained from taking any decision then the Egyptian government from its side in the 8th of October 1951 repealed the 1936 agreement . The Egyptian July 1952 revolution was preceeded by an Egyptian / British negotiations on the Sudanese affair and when the revolution erupted in the 23rd of July 1952 the Sudanese affair was decided to be separated from the issue of the British withdrawal from the Sues Canal in any negotiations between the two countries. When the elections of the legislative council took place it was almost a fight for the future determination between the two big fronts (the National Unity Party and the Independence Front) and the result came by the winning of the unionists, after that Ismail Alazhari had formed the first Sudanese government and its task was summarised in three points the first one the sudanization of the army and the civil service and the organization of the future determination procedures and the withdrawal of the condominium army. During this period the Republican independence party was established and many of the Sudanese started to call on for independence, where conciliation between the Mahdist leader Abdul Rahman Almahadi and the Khatmia leader Ali Almerghani took place. During that time the British broadcast announced the resignation of the Governor General of the Sudan sir Noks Hlm and said no new governor will be appointed to replace him and then the Parliamentarian Association of the National Unity Party announced the formation of a committee to replace the Governor General of the Sudan and to carry all his responsibilities so that the Sudanese could elect a head of their state. The Turkish Egyptian rule of the Sudan since 1820 was faced by struggle from all the Sudanese tribes in northern Sudan and from all the Nilotic tribes such as the Dainka and the Shuluk in southern Sudan which sparkled the activities of the Sudanese National Movement in Many parts of the Sudan. Facing the Turkish rule in all parts of the Sudan , and facing the slave trade specially in southern Sudan was part of the struggle and the refusal of the government system so, Alnuba mountain revolution, the Gihadia in Kassala in 1865, Haroon Alrasheed in Darfur, Subahi in Kurdufan and Sulieman Alzubair in Bahar Alghzal were all revolutions expressing the peoples refusal to the Turkish rule and also an introduction to the comprehensive revolution which is later became the Mahdist revolution. Although the Mahdist revolution started in 1885 in Northern Sudan and was backed by western Sudan but it found a great support from the Noair tribes and the shuluk and Anwak in southern Sudan in addition to the tribes of Bahr Alghazal, a thing which affirmed that the Mahdist revolution was a national revolution and not a regional one. In 1938 the Graduates Congress was held and had focused all its activities on many policies and came out with different orientations and visions about making the congress a vocational trade union for the graduates or making it a charity association or a forum for the national activities. On their side the countries of the condominium rule tried to limit their relations with the graduates congress which led to the emergence of the political parties in the mid forties where United Parties supported by Egypt emerged and there were also other independent parties supported by Britain .In 1944 emerged the Communist Party as a secret movement under the name of the Sudanese Movement for National liberalization. In 1953 emerged the Anti Colonialism Front and the Muslim brothers movements from which emanate the Islamic socialist party. Following world war two all the Sudanese parties agreed to unite and called on the Graduates Congress to fulfill their demand represented in the issuance of a joint permission from the condominium countries stipulating that their task is to form a democratic Sudanese government in unity with Egypt and an alliance with Britain and this document was signed by all the parties by which they informed the Governor General of the Sudan. Accordingly a delegation comprising representatives from all parties traveled to Cairo in 1946 to participate in the Egyptian /British negotiations but Egypt rejected their participation as a third party .The negotiations were concluded by issuing a protocol stipulating the realization of the Sudanese people welfare and to practically prepare them for the self rule within the context of unity between Egypt and the Sudan. As a result there were different reactions from the Sudanese political parties between agreement and disagreement to this while some were conservatives to this resolution. In 1948 the legislative Assembly was formed by the support of Britain and the opposition of the united parties and the Khatmia. Egypt then cancelled the 1899 agreement and the 1936 convention and Royal decrees were issued , joining the Sudan to Egypt. Alazhari and Mahjoubdrawing down the condominium flag and raising up the flag of the Sudan In |
| THE INDEPENDENCE ANNOUNCEMENT: |
| The historical event which took place in January 1956 by drawing down the two flags of the condominium rule and raising the Sudanese flag instead was the fruit of a long struggle, heroism and patriotism, led by the leaders of the Sudan from the different tribes and ethnic groups. |
| THE HISTORICAL SESSION AND ANNOUMCEMENT OF INDEPENDENCE: |
The historical events of the independence started by holding session No.32 of the parliament in its third round on Tuesday the 16th of August 1955, where Ismail Alazhari the Prime Minister and the Minister of Interior and Defense presented a note to the Governor General of the Sudan asking him to inform the condominium governments by the will of the Sudanese to start implementing the future determination measures immediately, this in accordance to article 9 from the agreement signed between the Egyptian government and the United Kingdom government and Northern Ireland in the 12th of February 1953. On Monday the 19the of December 1955 the parliament held its 43rd session of its third term where the member Abdulrahman Mohamed Ibrahim Daaka from the Bagara tribe in western Nyala presented a suggestion on behalf of the Sudanese people and all the members of parliament announcing that the Sudan has become an independent state with its own complete sovereignty and asked the Governor General of the Sudan to call on the condominium states to recognise this declaration of independence immediately. This suggestion was approved by Mashar Gomaa sahal from Dar Hamid tribe saying that this session is a an honour in the historical record of the Sudan and will be the line which ends the colonialism era from which Sudan suffered for 57 years and a new era for a total freedom and sovereignty of the Sudanese people. |
| THE PARLIAMENTARIAN EXPERIENCE IN THE SUDAN: |
The history of the parliamentarian experience in the Sudan and the formation of the parliamentary council goes back to the beginning of the last century by forming the Council of the Governor General in 1910 . Its membership was limited to the Governor General as the president of the council and the membership of an administrative secretary, a financial secretary and a judicial secretary. The council's responsibilities were to issue laws, regulations and orders made by the governor. In January 1943 the Governor General of the Sudan appointed a five member committee and the managers of the largest two states to establish a consultative council for northern Sudan which was implemented according to the recommendations of the committee and comprised 28 members from the tribes leaders and religious men from the north of Sudan only. They were appointed by the Governor General of the Sudan who chaired the council .the council convened twice every year for three or four days only and it was considered as a chance for training for self ruling system. This council’s term continued until 1948, then the legislative Assembly was formed in 1948 -1953, comprising 79 members and chaired by Mohamed Salih Alshingitti, it was formed in accordance with a resolution issued by the Governor General of the Sudan and according to a recommendation by a group of the Sudanese citizens .the Governor General and the executive council were having a legislative power above the authority of the legislative Assembly .its most important achievements were represented in training a number of its members and some of the Sudanese ministers on the governance system , the parliamentarian life and the participation of some of the Sudanese ministers in the council of the Governor General. The Senate was established in 1955 – 1985 comprising 50 members appointed and selected through elections and chaired by Ahmed Mohamed Yassin – Mohamed Alhassan Diab and Amin Alsayed consecutively .The council had three sessions and was responsible for taking the necessary measures for the future determination of the Sudan and approval of the legislative Assembly law. In 1954 the first Parliament was formed through direct and indirect elections comprising 95 members headed by Babikir Awad Allah .Its most important achievements were (1) the announcement of independence from within the parliament (2) the Sudanization (3) signing the River Nile Agreement. In 1968 the first legislative Assembly was formed under the parliamentarian system in accordance with article 41 from the interim constitution for 1964. The most important achievements were the formation of a committee comprising 37 members from within and outside the parliament and another committee comprising 15 members from the lawmen and specialists to prepare legal studies concerning the constitution but it didn't complete its mission until may 1969. In 1972 the Peoples Council was established comprising 255 members representing three sectors, chosen through election and appointment and by virtue of post for the ministers. It was chaired by Prof. Alnazeer Daffalla. The fourth Peoples’ Council was formed in1980 -1981 comprising 360 members through elections and appointment headed by Alrasheed Altahir Bakr and the fifth council was held in 1982 -1985 comprising 145 members and the most achievements are the approval of the Islamic legislations and laws which amounted to 13 basic laws. In 1996 the National Assembly was formed according to the constitutional decree No.13 comprising 400 member of which 275 were chosen by direct election from the geographical constituencies, and 125 by election from the national conference according to the basic system and its representation rules. This council comprised 21 women as members and has all the legislative power and authority in addition to participation in the political and mobilization spheres, beside the issuance of resolutions regarding the general affairs as recommendations only . The National Congress can also oust the minister after his interrogation and it was chaired by Hassan Abdullahi Alturabi .The most important achievements were the approval of the 1998 constitution and the Khartoum peace agreement and some other important decrees and laws and this congress was dissolved before the end of its term. |
| THE SUDANESE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY |
The Sudanese Parliament was the third National Assembly; it was the first parliament elected in accordance with the constitution of the Republic of the Sudan for 1998 at the end of the year 2000 which coincided with the election of the Presidency of the Republic. The National Assembly comprised 360 members representing the Sudanese people in all the 26 states of the Sudan. There were 270 members representing the geographical constituencies, while 90 seats were specialized for the scientific and professional categories with a special representation of women (besides their right for nomination in the geographical, scientific and professional constituencies). The elected Speaker of the National Assembly was Ahmed Ibrahim Al-Tahir, a former Member of Parliament and chairman of a former parliamentarian committee. His two deputies were Anglou Bumbarou Bida and Abdallah Ahmed Al-Hardellou. The National Assembly carried out its legislative, monitoring and mobilizing tasks through 16 specialized permanent committees comprising a number of deputies of the National Assembly according to their specializations and chaired by a deputy chosen by the National Assembly and nominated by its Speaker. Establishment of emergency committees may be formed to carry out some tasks required by the Assembly, and its role ended by the completion of its tasks. A Secretariat General of the National Assembly, chaired by the Secretary General who was appointed by the Speaker of the National Assembly, after the approval of the Assembly carried out the executive, administrative, financial and service works. |
| THE SUDANESE TRANSITIONAL PARLIAMENT: |
The Sudanese Transitional Parliament with its two councils (the National Congress and Council of States) held its opening session in 31st of October 2005. The most outstanding articles of the interim constitution are as follows :
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