1499. Sudan’s Fragile State, 1956–1989
PEtER WoodWaRd
Sudan’s independence on 1 January 1956 was the outcome of a complex
struggle with not one but two imperial powers, Britain and Egypt. Whereas
most states in Africa attained independence through political negotia-
tion with a single colonial master, and did so on terms that involved a
degree of constitutional consideration and eventual agreement between
them, Sudan had to free itself from two countries that, in theory, ruled it
jointly as a condominium, but were in reality at odds with each other on
key issues, including, notably, the fate of Sudan itself. Egypt felt it had a
right of conquest which derived from the period between 1821 and 1885
when it had ruled most of Sudan: in the Egyptian view Britain’s involve-
ment in the campaign of 1898, while it made possible the defeat of the
Mahdist forces, had allowed Britain to assert an unwelcome dominance
over Sudanese affairs. The British view was that it would be contrary to
Britain’s interests to see Sudan united with Egypt, which was a prospect
that remained a possibility right up to the eve of independence in 1955.
In consequence, Sudan’s nationalists found that their attention in
the 1940s and 1950s was focused on the manoeuvrings of the co-domini,
Britain and Egypt, rather than on issues of a suitable constitution and
other matters of governance. The system of self-government put in place
in 1953 was referred to as an interim constitution: it was assumed that a
permanent one would come later, when the question of the relationship
with Egypt was settled. But after the decision to declare independence,
Sudan’s successive elected civilian governments were unable to agree
on a new constitution. Instead they followed, in broad terms, that of- It took later, military regimes to bring attempts at permanent
The Sudan Handbook, edited by John Ryle, Justin Willis, Suliman Baldo and Jok Madut Jok. © 2011 Rift Valley Institute and contributors constitutions.
(www.riftvalley.net).