Sadiq al-Mahdi ( ar, الصادق المهدي, aṣ-Ṣādiq al-Mahdī; 25 December 193526 November 2020), also known as Sadiq as-Siddiq, was a
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
ese political and religious figure who was
Prime Minister of Sudan
This article lists the heads of government of Sudan, from the establishment of the office of Chief Minister in 1952 until the present day. The office of Prime Minister was abolished after the 1989 coup d'état, and reestablished in 2017 when ...
from 1966 to 1967 and again from 1986 to 1989. He was head of the
National Umma Party and
Imam
Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, serve ...
of the
Ansar, a
Sufi order that pledges allegiance to
Muhammad Ahmad
Muhammad Ahmad ( ar, محمد أحمد ابن عبد الله; 12 August 1844 – 22 June 1885) was a Nubian Sufi religious leader of the Samaniyya order in Sudan who, as a youth, studied Sunni Islam. In 1881, he claimed to be the Mahdi, ...
(1844–1885), who claimed to be the
Mahdi
The Mahdi ( ar, ٱلْمَهْدِيّ, al-Mahdī, lit=the Guided) is a messianic figure in Islamic eschatology who is believed to appear at the end of times to rid the world of evil and injustice. He is said to be a descendant of Muhammad w ...
, the messianic saviour of
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
.
Personal life
Sadiq al-Mahdi was born on 25 December 1935 in Al-Abasya,
Omdurman
Omdurman (standard ar, أم درمان ''Umm Durmān'') is a city in Sudan. It is the most populated city in the country, and thus also in the State of Khartoum. Omdurman lies on the west bank of the River Nile, opposite and northwest of the ...
,
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
.
He was the paternal grandson of Sayyid
Abd al-Rahman al-Mahdi, founder of the Umma Party,
[ Hourani, Albert. "A Disturbance of Spirits (since 1967)." In ''A History of the Arab Peoples.'' Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belnap Press of Harvard University Press, 1991. ] and great-grandson of
Muhammad Ahmad
Muhammad Ahmad ( ar, محمد أحمد ابن عبد الله; 12 August 1844 – 22 June 1885) was a Nubian Sufi religious leader of the Samaniyya order in Sudan who, as a youth, studied Sunni Islam. In 1881, he claimed to be the Mahdi, ...
, the Sudanese
sheikh
Sheikh (pronounced or ; ar, شيخ ' , mostly pronounced , plural ' )—also transliterated sheekh, sheyikh, shaykh, shayk, shekh, shaik and Shaikh, shak—is an honorific title in the Arabic language. It commonly designates a chief of a ...
of the
Ansar and
Mahdi
The Mahdi ( ar, ٱلْمَهْدِيّ, al-Mahdī, lit=the Guided) is a messianic figure in Islamic eschatology who is believed to appear at the end of times to rid the world of evil and injustice. He is said to be a descendant of Muhammad w ...
who led the
Mahdist War
The Mahdist War ( ar, الثورة المهدية, ath-Thawra al-Mahdiyya; 1881–1899) was a war between the Mahdist Sudanese of the religious leader Muhammad Ahmad bin Abd Allah, who had proclaimed himself the "Mahdi" of Islam (the "Guided On ...
to reclaim Sudan from Anglo-Egyptian rule. He was also the paternal uncle of Sudanese-British actor
Alexander Siddig.
Sadiq al-Mahdi married twice and had ten children, including a son named Siddig after his grandfather al-Imam al-Siddiq, born in 1968, who is now a leader in
National Umma Party, and a daughter,
Mariam, who is the leader of the National Umma Party.
Political life
Sadiq al-Mahdi was
Prime Minister of Sudan
This article lists the heads of government of Sudan, from the establishment of the office of Chief Minister in 1952 until the present day. The office of Prime Minister was abolished after the 1989 coup d'état, and reestablished in 2017 when ...
on two occasions: first briefly in 1966–67 and second from 1986 until his ousting on 30 June 1989.
First term as prime minister (1966–1967)
After the
1965 elections, a coalition government was formed between the National Umma Party and the
National Unionist Party.
Muhammad Ahmad Mahgoub
Muhammad Ahmad Mahgoub ( ar, محمد أحمد المحجوب; 17 May 1908 – 23 June 1976) was both Foreign Minister and then the 6th Prime Minister of Sudan. He was also an important Sudanese literary writer, who published several volumes of ...
of the Umma party became Prime Minister, and
Ismail al-Azhari
Ismail al-Azhari (October 20, 1900 – August 26, 1969) ( ar, إسماعيل الأزهري) was a Sudanese nationalist and political figure. He served as the first Prime Minister of Sudan between 1954 and 1956, and as President of Sudan from ...
of the NUP became president. However, this coalition collapsed in October 1965 after the two parties failed to agree on control of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The enti ...
. In July 1966, Prime Minister
Mahgoub resigned after a parliamentary
vote of censure
A censure is an expression of strong disapproval or harsh criticism. In parliamentary procedure, it is a debatable main motion that could be adopted by a majority vote. Among the forms that it can take are a stern rebuke by a legislature, a spir ...
.
Mahgoub's resignation split the Umma party into two factions: the opposition faction was led by Mahgoub and endorsed by Sadiq's uncle, the
Imam al-Hadi al-Mahdi
Sayyid Hadi Abdulrahman al-Mahdi (1918–1971) was a Sudanese political and religious figure. He was a leader of the Sudanese Ansar (Sudan), Ansar religious order and was also the uncle of fellow National Umma Party, Umma party politician Sadiq a ...
, while Sadiq led the faction that was willing to work with the NUP. As Sadiq's faction was larger, he became Prime Minister with NUP support. He supported regional development and greater autonomy for the southern provinces. These proposals were unpopular with many educated Sudanese civilians and army officers. In May 1967, Sadiq lost the support of his coalition partners, and Mahgoub returned as Prime Minister in a coalition with the
National Unionist Party and the
People's Democratic Party People's Democratic Party or ''variant thereof'', could refer to:
* People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
*People's Democratic Party (Belize)
*People's Democratic Party (Bhutan)
* People's Democratic Party (Chile)
*People's Democratic Party (Dom ...
. In the
1968 elections, Sadiq's faction won more seats than Mahgoub's faction, but Sadiq lost his own seat to a candidate from Mahgoub's faction.
In the opposition (1967–1986)
Jaafar Nimeiry
Jaafar Muhammad an-Nimeiry (otherwise spelled in English as Jaafar Nimeiry, Gaafar Nimeiry or Ja'far Muhammad Numayri; ar, جعفر محمد النميري; 26 April 192830 May 2009) was a Sudanese politician who served as the president of Sud ...
took power in Sudan through
a coup on 25 May 1969. After the attack on
Aba Island in March 1970,
Sadiq was imprisoned repeatedly by Nimeiry, finally going into exile in 1974.
From abroad, Sadiq formed an opposition organization known as the National Front. In 1977, Sadiq and Nimeiry negotiated an agreement that freed 1000 political prisoners, granted amnesty to Sadiq, allowed nonpartisan opposition candidates in Parliament, and planned further democratic reforms. Sadiq then returned and started forming an opposition to Nimeiry's
Sudanese Socialist Union
The Sudanese Socialist Union (abbr. SSU; ar, الاتحاد الاشتراكي السوداني ''Al-Ittihad Al-Ishtiraki Al-Sudaniy'') was a political party in Sudan. The SSU was the country's sole legal party from 1971 until 1985, when the r ...
.
Second term as prime minister (1986–1989)
After the
1986 elections, Sadiq formed a coalition government comprising the Umma Party (which he led); the
National Islamic Front
The National Islamic Front ( ar, الجبهة الإسلامية القومية; transliterated: ''al-Jabhah al-Islamiyah al-Qawmiyah'') was an Islamist political organization founded in 1976 and led by Dr. Hassan al-Turabi that influenced th ...
(led by his brother-in-law,
Hassan Al-Turabi); the
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is a unionist, loyalist, and national conservative political party in Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1971 during the Troubles by Ian Paisley, who led the party for the next 37 years. Currently led by J ...
(led by
Mohammed Uthman al-Mirghani al-Khatim
Mohammed Uthman al-Mirghani, known as Al-Khatim, was the founder of the Khatmiyya sufi tariqa, a sect of Islam, that has a following in Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia and Ethiopia.
Family
He was born into the Mirghani family in Mecca which was o ...
); and four small Southern parties. However, this coalition proved to be unstable, preventing Sadiq from delivering on his promises to end the
Second Sudanese Civil War
The Second Sudanese Civil War was a conflict from 1983 to 2005 between the central Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Army. It was largely a continuation of the First Sudanese Civil War of 1955 to 1972. Although it originated ...
and fix the ongoing economic crisis.
On 30 June 1989, his government was overthrown in
a coup led by Brigadier
Omar al-Bashir. The post of Prime Minister of Sudan was then abolished.
1989 coup and afterwards
Sadiq continued to lead the Umma Party in opposition to Bashir after being ousted.
[Lydia Polgreen and Jeffrey Gettleman (28 July 2008]
"Sudan Rallies Behind Leader Reviled Abroad"
''The New York Times''.[''Political Parties of the World''. 6th edition, 2005, Bogdan Szajkowski (ed.), John Harper, , p. 113.] He spent a period in exile, but eventually returned to Sudan in November 2000.
[ As a former head of government, he joined the ]Club of Madrid
Club de Madrid is an independent non-profit organization created to promote democracy and change in the international community. Composed of 121 regular members from 72 countries, including 7 Nobel Peace Prize laureates and 20 first female heads ...
.
He ran unsuccessfully for the 2010 presidential elections, pledging not to hand Bashir to the International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court (ICC or ICCt) is an intergovernmental organization and International court, international tribunal seated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to pro ...
to face charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes on the grounds that it would destabilise the country. In 2014, the government alleged that Sadiq had collaborated with rebels, forcing him to flee to Egypt. He eventually returned to Khartoum on 26 January 2017.
In April 2019, Bashir was himself ousted by a coup after months of mass protests. Sadiq affirmed his party's support for the protests and confirmed that they would not be part of any future civilian transitional government. He also opined that Sudan should join the International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court (ICC or ICCt) is an intergovernmental organization and International court, international tribunal seated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to pro ...
and hand over Bashir to face charges. In May 2019, Sadiq announced his retirement from electoral politics.
Death
On 26 November 2020, Sadiq died of complications from COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...
, after being admitted to a hospital in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dha ...
, United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (Middle East, The Middle East). It is ...
, for nearly a month.
Publishing career
He was the author of a variety of scholarly and political books, including ''The Southern Question'' (1964); ''Speeches in Exile'' (1976); ''Questions on Mahadism'' (1979); ''Legitimate Penalties and Their Position in the Islamic Social System'' (1987); ''Democracy in Sudan: Will Return and Triumph'' (1990); ''Challenges of the Nineties'' (1991). In addition to his political career, he is remembered for helping theorize and explicate "a new kind of religious thought which would draw out of the Qur’an and Hadith a ''shari‘a'' which was adapted to the needs of the modern world."[ Hourani, Albert. "A Disturbance of Spirits (since 1967)." In ''A History of the Arab Peoples.'' Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belnap Press of Harvard University Press, 1991. ] Professor of History Albert Hourani characterizes Sadiq's intellectual contributions as "responsible but bold."[ Hourani, Albert. "A Disturbance of Spirits (since 1967)." In ''A History of the Arab Peoples.'' Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belnap Press of Harvard University Press, 1991. ]
Education
* B.Sc philosophy and economics Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
* M.Sc. politics Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
See also
* First Sudanese Civil War
The First Sudanese Civil War (also known as the Anyanya Rebellion or Anyanya I, after the name of the rebels, a term in the Madi language which means 'snake venom') was a conflict from 1955 to 1972 between the northern part of Sudan and the sou ...
(1955-1972) between North and South Sudan
* Second Sudanese Civil War
The Second Sudanese Civil War was a conflict from 1983 to 2005 between the central Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Army. It was largely a continuation of the First Sudanese Civil War of 1955 to 1972. Although it originated ...
(1983-2005), a continuation of the First
* Darfur Conflict (since 2003, ongoing as of 2020)
References
External links
*Helen Chapin Metz, ed.
"Umma Party"
''Sudan: A Country Study''. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress, 1991.
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mahdi, Sadiq Al-
1935 births
2020 deaths
Hashemite people
Al-Mahdi family
Leaders ousted by a coup
National Umma Party politicians
People from Omdurman
Prime Ministers of Sudan
Sudanese Sufis
Alumni of the University of Oxford
Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates