Sudan

Official name: 
Republic of Sudan
Name in local language: 
جمهورية السودان transliterated as al-Jumhuriyatu as-Sudan
Form of government: 
Republic
Political system: 
Presidential
  • Founding date/ Date of independence:  1956, from the United Kingdom. Secession of Southern Sudan was effective on July 9th 2012, after the referendum held on January 9th of the same year.
  • Date of constitution/reform: Interim Constitution approved on January 9th 2005.
  • Form of state: Federal
  • Administrative divisions:  18 states (wilayat)
  • Official language(s): Arabic and English
  • Other spoken languages:  Nubian, Fur and Bedawiya
  • Official religion:  Multi-confessional
  • Minorities: Fur / Beja / Nuba / Fallata / Sudanese Arab / Baggara / Zaghawa / Misseriya / Beja / Rashaida / Dinka / Hausa / Ja’alin / Shukria / Qahtana / Nubian / Bani Hassan / Bani Arak / Copts
  • Dominant actor(s): The Presidency, below which are the National Congress Party (NCP) and the armed forces.
  • Elected institutions of government: Presidency, bi-cameral parliament (Lower House appointed, Upper House indirectly elected), State Governors and State Parliaments.
  • Non-elected  institutions of government: N/A
  • Party system:  Hegemonic party system. The NCP is the ruling party. 2010 elections were the first since 1986 to be organized throughout the country having all political parties participating.

Current authorities

  • Head of state: The Sovereignty Council of Sudan (interim). Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bachir was ousted in April 2019 coup d'état. Bachir was re-elected in April 2010, in power since 1989 following a coup d'Etat; proclaimed himself President on 16 October 1993. Also served as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and General Secretary of the National Congress Party. Currently a 5-person body, the Sovereignty Council of Sudan, exerts as head of State for a transitional period of 33 months, ending in 2022. On the 25th October 21, the Army took power and arrested PM Abdellah Hamdok. The new leader of the ruling junta is General Abdel Fattah Burhan.
  • Head of government: Sovereignty Council of Sudan (interim).
  • Minister of Foreign Affairs: Ibrahim Ghandour.
  • Minister of Interior: Hamid Manan Al Mirghani. 
  • Head(s) of Legislative Branch: Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim El Tahir (People Assembly)
  • Composition of the legislative branch: Link to diagram in PDF
  • Head of the Judiciary: Mr. Jalal al-Din Mohammed Osman, president of the Supreme Court.
  • Schematic representation of the political system: Link to graph in PDF

Links