The Sudan Handbook

318 thE sudan handbook

1954 Ismail al-Azhari forms a new government in January

and Sudan’s first Parliament opens in March. Rapid

sudanization of government; but only a handful of

southerners are appointed to junior administrative posts

in the south, all other posts allotted to northern Sudanese

with little or no knowledge of southern Sudan.

1955 Al-Azhari and the NUP abandon support for union with

Egypt in favour of full independence. Soldiers of the

Equatorial Corps mutiny in Torit; eight other mutinies

break out across southern Sudan. Al-Azhari’s government,

urged by Britain, circumvents the self-determination

plebiscite and opts for a declaration of independence from

Parliament, persuading southern members to vote for

independence on the promise that a federal constitution

would be considered.

1956 Sudan becomes independent (1 January). Ismail al-Azhari

becomes Sudan’s first prime minister.

fRom indEPEndEnCE to thE PREsEnt (1956–2011)
1956 Twenty-one members of the NUP defect and form the
People’s Democratic Party, forcing al-Azhari to resign.
Umma Party leader Abdullah Khalil becomes Prime
Minister in an Umma–PDP coalition.
1958 The Umma Party wins the general election but, failing to
secure a strong majority, again forms a fractious coalition
with the PDP. Of southerners elected, the majority
campaign on a pro-federalist platform. Amid growing
political confusion and sectarian quarrels, General Ibrahim
Abboud leads a coup; he declares a state of emergency and
dissolves all political parties and trade unions.
1959 Egypt and Sudan sign the Nile Waters agreement, which
paves the way for Egypt to begin constructing the Aswan
dam.
1961 Abboud government announces the beginning of
resettlement of Nubians to make way for the Aswan Dam,
sparking violent demonstrations in Nubia.
1962 Widespread school strikes take place in the south in
opposition to Abboud’s policy of building national unity
The Sudan Handbook, edited by John Ryle, Justin Willis, Suliman Baldo and Jok Madut Jok. © 2011 Rift Valley Institute and contributors through Arabization and Islamization. First southern

(www.riftvalley.net).