The Sudan Handbook

islamism & thE statE 173

became no more than a crisis management agency that barely coped with

the rapidly deteriorating situation at all levels.

The poor performance of successive governments during the parlia-

mentary period to address the range of problems facing the country,

facilitated the military takeover of June 1989, which was widely antici-

pated. The new Islamist regime had to confront these same problems

• civil, war, economy, security – but its more immediate challenge was to
  secure and consolidate its power. This challenge is better understood if
  placed within the context of the Sudanese political scene at the time of
  the Islamist takeover. The last government of Sadiq al-Mahdi – formed in
  March 1989 – included all of the main political parties with the exception
  of the NIF, two ministers from the trade unions’ confederations, and
  a retired army general nominated by army commanders. As such, the
  Islamist coup of June 1989 appeared at odds with all other active forces
  in the country: all other political parties, trade unions, and the army
  establishment. It was no surprise, therefore, that all these forces joined
  together under an opposition umbrella, the National Democratic Alliance
  (NDA), which was formed in October 1989 with the aim of opposing the
  military regime and restoring national democracy.
  To secure and consolidate its hold on power al-Bashir’s regime resorted
  to an unprecedented and violent suppression of any form of opposition
  whether civilian or military. A physicians’ strike in October 1989, which
  was regarded as heralding a general strike by the trade union movement to
  topple the regime, was violently put down: union leaders were imprisoned,
  one doctor tortured to death, and the secretary general of the Physicians’
  Federation sentenced to death. In April 1990, 28 army officers, and 54
  rank-and-file soldiers, were summarily executed following an abortive
  coup attempt. These measures were followed by almost blanket purges
  in the army, security and civil services. During its first five years in power,
  the regime dismissed 11,000 military personnel, including 1,800 officers,
  and laid off 73,640 civil service employees from various state departments
  and corporations. These posts and positions were filled by Islamists.
  Having consolidated its grip on power, the Islamist regime sought to

The Sudan Handbook, edited by John Ryle, Justin Willis, Suliman Baldo and Jok Madut Jok. © 2011 Rift Valley Institute and contributors establish a political system capable of realizing its political and ideologi^ cal

(www.riftvalley.net).