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| Umma Party (Sudan) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Umma Party (Sudan) |
| Foundation | 1945 |
| Founder | Sadiq al-Mahdi |
| Headquarters | Khartoum |
| Ideology | Sunni Islam, Sudanese nationalism, Conservative liberalism |
| Position | Centre-right |
| Colors | White, Green |
| Seats1 title | National Legislature |
| Country | Sudan |
Umma Party (Sudan) is a political organization founded in the mid-20th century that played a central role in Sudanese independence politics and post-independence state formation. It emerged from Sudanese Mahdist religious and tribal networks and has been involved in multiple cabinets, revolutions, and peace negotiations. The party's leaders have included prominent figures who participated in landmark events such as the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium, the First Sudanese Sovereignty Council, and the various transitional arrangements following coups and uprisings.
The party traces roots to the religious movement of Muhammad Ahmad (self-proclaimed Mahdi) and the subsequent political mobilization around the Ansar (Sudan), linking to families such as the al-Mahdi lineage and figures like Abd al-Rahman al-Mahdi. During the late Anglo-Egyptian Sudan era, activists including Ismail al-Azhari and Sadiq al-Mahdi organized against the Condominium and for Sudanese independence. After independence in 1956, the party contested power against parties such as the National Unionist Party and later negotiated with military figures including General Ibrahim Abboud during the 1958 coup period. The Umma Party was central to coalition governments and the 1964 October Revolution that toppled military rule, and its leaders served in cabinets alongside personalities from the Sudanese Communist Party and Democratic Unionist Party. In the 1980s, the party confronted policies of Jaafar Nimeiry and engaged in the politics surrounding the Second Sudanese Civil War and the imposition of Sharia law by the state. Following the 1989 Sudanese coup d'état (1989) led by Omar al-Bashir, the party entered opposition and later participated in the post-2019 transitional arrangements after the 2018–2019 Sudanese protests.
The party's ideology combines Sunni Islam linked to the Ansar (Sudan) religious constituency with Sudanese nationalism, advocating for civil institutions reflecting religious identity. Its platform has emphasized pluralist negotiation with movements like the Sudan People's Liberation Movement and parties including the National Islamic Front while opposing authoritarianism associated with the National Congress Party (Sudan). Economic stances have ranged from conservative market policies to state-led development schemes discussed during negotiations with actors such as World Bank delegations and Arab League interlocutors. On social issues the party has articulated positions influenced by customary law authorities in regions like Khartoum, Darfur, and the Three Areas (Abyei).
Organizationally, the party is anchored in the Ansar (Sudan) religious network and tribal constituencies from areas including Omdurman and Kassala. Prominent leaders have included Sadiq al-Mahdi, members of the al-Mahdi family, and other politicians who interfaced with institutions such as the Sudanese Sovereignty Council and the Transitional Military Council (Sudan). The party's internal structure featured a National Congress akin to party congresses in the region, with committees for policy, elections, and negotiations that engaged with diplomats from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and representatives of the United Nations.
The party has contested parliamentary and presidential contests against rivals like Ismail al-Azhari's formations and the National Islamic Front. In the 1950s and 1960s it secured leading roles in legislative assemblies and cabinets, participating in coalitions during the 1960s parliamentary era. Electoral fortunes fluctuated under regimes such as those of Jaafar Nimeiry and Omar al-Bashir, with margins affected by alliances with groups like the Sudanese Socialist Union and the emergence of movements such as the Islamic Movement (Sudan). Following the 2019 revolution, the party stood in competitive contests shaped by transitional decrees and arrangements involving the Sovereignty Council (2019) and international observers including the African Union.
The party served repeatedly in executive and legislative roles, providing prime ministers and cabinet ministers during coalition governments and transitional councils, interacting with military leaders such as Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and civilian coalitions like the Forces of Freedom and Change. It has been a negotiator in peace talks involving rebel movements such as the Justice and Equality Movement and the Sudan Liberation Movement, and a participant in accords mediated by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the Qatar-mediated dialogues. The party's influence extended to constitutional debates about federal arrangements affecting South Sudan and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement era.
Internal tensions produced factions aligned with differing strategies toward military rule, Islamist movements, and negotiated settlements with insurgencies. Splinter groups emerged with leaders contesting party direction and alliances with forces like the National Congress Party (Sudan), while others aligned with civil coalitions stemming from the 2018–2019 Sudanese protests. These splits mirrored broader schisms in Sudanese politics visible in disputes involving actors such as Ali Osman Taha and regional elites from Darfur.
Externally, the party engaged with regional states including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and international organizations like the United Nations and African Union on issues ranging from aid to mediation of conflict. It cultivated relationships with political parties and movements across the Arab League and engaged in diplomacy concerning the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam negotiations and refugee matters involving the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Category:Political parties in Sudan