The Sudan Handbook

328 thE sudan handbook

Abd al-Rahman SiWaR al-Dahab (b.1930). Born in El-Obeid

graduated from the Sudanese Military Academy and was Minister of

Defence and Commander-in-Chief under President Jaafar Nimeiri.

He seized power after Nimeiri was ousted by the popular uprisings,

the intifada, of 1985. He became chairman of the Transitional Military

Council, which ruled along with a civilian Council of Ministers, and

made a public commitment to restore democracy within twelve months.

He duly handed the presidency over to Sadiq al-Mahdi and his elected

government in 1986. A year later he became chairman of the Islamic Call

organization, al-Dawa al Islamiyya. He lives in Qatar.

Abdullah El-TayEb (1921–2003). Academic from Ed-Damer, known

as the ‘dean’ of Arabic literature in Sudan. A graduate of Gordon

Memorial College, he obtained his PhD from the School of Oriental and

African Studies, University of London, in 1950 before being appointed

as a Professor of Arabic at Khartoum University in 1956. He became the

Dean of the Faculty of Arts, and Vice Chancellor of the University. He was

also the founding Director of Juba University. In 1990 he became Presi-

dent of the Arabic Language Council at the University of Khartoum. He

wrote poetry, plays and literary studies, and produced the first collection

of northern folk stories. He is remembered for his colloquial Sudanese

Arabic interpretation of the Quran on a radio programme running from

1985 to 1993; for series of radio and television lectures on classical Arabic

literature and history; and for his canonical work, The Guide to the Making

and Understanding of Arab Poetry.

AbEl AliER KWai (b.1933). Southern Sudanese politician, lawyer and

judge from Bor. He studied Law in Khartoum and London, and become

Sudan’s first southern judge. He did not join the first southern rebellion,

but was a prominent leader of the Southern Front, the largest southern

party at the time. He was elected to the national parliament in 1968 and

held various ministerial positions in President Nimeiri’s government.

As Minister for Southern Affairs he played a key role negotiating the

The Sudan Handbook, edited by John Ryle, Justin Willis, Suliman Baldo and Jok Madut Jok. © 2011 Rift Valley Institute and contributors Addis Ababa Peace Agreement in 1972. He was the first Vice-President

(www.riftvalley.net).