GlossaRy 19NCP National Congress Party
NDA National Democratic Alliance
NGO Non-Governmental Organization
NIF National Islamic Front (became NCP)
Nilotic Language group including (in southern Sudan) Dinka,
Nuer, Luo, Anuak, Pari, Acholi and Shilluk
NPC National Petroleum Commission
NSCC New Sudan Council of Churches
Nuba ethnic and geographical term: peoples of the Nuba Hills of
South Kordofan state
Nubia area of northern Sudan where Nubian languages are
spoken; used historically for undefined region south of
First Cataract
NUP Nationalist Unionist Party (now DUP)
OAU Organization of African Unity (became AU)
OLS Operation Lifeline Sudan
omda (Ar.) a local headman, normally of a town, large village or
group of villages
ONGC Oil and Natural Gas Corporation
payam administrative unit in Southern Sudan, sub-division of
county
PCP Popular Congress Party
PDF Popular Defence Forces
PDOC Petrodar Operating Company
Qadiriyya Sufi order
RCC Revolutionary Command Council (formed by Nimeiri and
the Free Officers after their 1969 coup; and again by the
NIF following the 1989 military coup)
SAF Sudan Armed Forces
Salafiyya Sunni Islamic movement that takes the pious ancestors,
the ‘Salaf’ of the patristic period of early Islam, as
exemplary models
Sammaniyya Sufi order
The Sudan Handbook, edited by John Ryle, Justin Willis, Suliman Baldo and Jok Madut Jok. © 2011 Rift Valley Institute and contributors
(www.riftvalley.net).