Country name
conventional long form: Republic of the Sudan
conventional short form: Sudan
local long form: Jumhuriyat as-Sudan
local short form: As-Sudan
former : Anglo-Egyptian Sudan

Data code SU

Government type transitional - previously ruling military junta; presidential and NationalAssembly elections held in March 1996; new constitution to be drafted by theNational Assembly

National capital Khartoum

Administrative divisions 26 states (wilayat, singular - wilayat or wilayah*); A'ali an Nil, AlBahr al Ahmar, Al Buhayrat, Al Jazirah, Al Khartum, Al Qadarif, Al Wahdah,An Nil al Abyad, An Nil al Azraq, Ash Shamaliyah*, Bahr al Jabal, Gharb alIstiwa'iyah, Gharb Bahr al Ghazal, Gharb Darfur, Gharb Kurdufan, Janub Darfur,Janub Kurdufan, Junqali, Kassala, Nahr an Nil, Shamal Bahr al Ghazal, ShamalDarfur, Shamal Kurdufan, Sharq al Istiwa'iyah, Sinnar, Warab

Independence 1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK)

National holiday Independence Day, 1 January (1956)

Constitution 12 April 1973, suspended following coup of 6 April 1985; interim constitutionof 10 October 1985 suspended following coup of 30 June 1989; new constitutionto be drafted following national elections held in March 1996

Legal system based on English common law and Islamic law; as of 20 January 1991,the now defunct Revolutionary Command Council imposed Islamic law in the northernstates; Islamic law applies to all residents of the northern states regardlessof their religion; some separate religious courts; accepts compulsory ICJjurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage NA years of age; universal, but noncompulsory

Executive branch
chief of state : President Lt. General Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16 October 1993);First Vice President Major General al-Zubayr Muhammad SALIH (since 19 October1993), Second Vice President (Police) Maj. General George KONGOR AROP (sinceNA February 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and headof government
head of government : President Lt. General Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16 October 1993);First Vice President Major General al-Zubayr Muhammad SALIH (since 19 October1993), Second Vice President (Police) Maj. General George KONGOR AROP (sinceNA February 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and headof government
cabinet : Cabinet appointed by the president; note - President al-BASHIR's governmentis dominated by members of Sudan's National Islamic Front, a fundamentalistpolitical organization formed from the Muslim Brotherhood in 1986; front leaderHasan al-TURABI dominates much of Khartoum's overall domestic and foreignpolicies; President al-BASHIR named a new cabinet on 20 April 1996 which includesmembers of the National Islamic Front, serving and retired military offficers,and civilian technocrats
elections : president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election lastheld 6-17 March 1996 (next to be held NA 2001)
election results: Umar Hasan Ahmad al-BASHIR elected president; percent of vote - UmarHasan Ahmad al-BASHIR 75.7%; note - about forty other candidates ran for president
note : al-BASHIR, as chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council for NationalSalvation (RCC), assumed power on 30 June 1989 and served concurrently aschief of state, chairman of the RCC, prime minister, and minister of defenseuntil 16 October 1993 when he was appointed president by the RCC; upon itsdissolution on 16 October 1993, the RCC's executive and legislative powerswere devolved to the president and the Transitional National Assembly (TNA),Sudan's appointed legislative body, which has since been replaced by the NationalAssembly which was elected in March 1996

Legislative branch unicameral National Assembly (400 seats; 275 elected by popular vote,125 elected by a supraassembly of interest groups known as the National Congress;members serve four-year terms)
elections : last held 6-17 March 1996 (next to be held NA 2000)
election results: NA; the March 1996 elections were held on a nonparty basis; partiesare banned in the new National Assembly

Judicial branch Supreme Court; Special Revolutionary Courts

Political parties and leaders none; banned following 30 June 1989 coup

Political pressure groups and leaders National Islamic Front, Hasan al-TURABI

International organization participation ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol,IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Mahdi Ibrahim MOHAMED
chancery: 2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 338-8565 through 8570
FAX : [1] (202) 667-2406
consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US operations in Khartoum were suspended in February 1996; Ambassador toSudan Timothy M. CARNEY and several members of the mission have relocatedto Nairobi, Kenya and operate out of the US Embassy there; the embassy islocated at the corner of Moi Avenue and Haile Selassie Avenue; mailing address:P. O. Box 30137, Unit 64100, APO AE 09831; telephone: [254] (2) 334141; FAX:[254] (2) 340838

Flag description three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with a greenisosceles triangle based on the hoist side

NOTE: The information regarding Sudan on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Sudan Government 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Sudan Government 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.