President Bashir decrees a state of emergency to remove his rival Hassan el Tourabi

President Omar al-Bashir has decreed a three-months state of emergency and dissolved the parliament of the Islamic Republic of Sudan in order to remove from power his rival and former ally Hassan el-Tourabi, President of Parliament and leader of the party in power. A crucial debate in parliament was foreseen for December the 14th on a constitutional amendment aimed at having the states governors elected, whereas they are now appointed by the President. By stopping parliamentary activity, General Beshir has overtaken his rival, who was defending another amendment, aiming at creating a post of Prime Minister, a project which was felt as a menace to the presidential power. General Beshir explained these measures by his will to end "dualism within power".
For General Beshir, both contemplated amendments were threats to his power; at the end of November he obtained that Mr Tourabi would announce the postponement of the debate on the latter project sine die . However more than two-third of the MP choosed to go on with the debate about governors' election.
In 1998, a similar conflict had already opposed the two leaders  for the leadership of the party in power, the National Congress, and had ended at the end of September  by Mr. Tourabi's victory.  Moreover Mr. Tourabi himself had met in Geneva at the end of September Mr. Sadek al-Mahdi, leader of the Oumma party, the main component of the Northern opposition. But he had seen his peace initiative overtaken by General Beshir. The head of state indeed had agreed to an  initial peace agreement  with Mr. Mahdi bringing to nothing his former ally's efforts.
"The Sudanese regime was resting on this alliance between military power represented by General Beshir and political will embodied by Mr. Tourabi", asserts an Arab diplomat in Cairo.  "The question is now, has General Beshir understood Mr. Tourabi's political lessons so well that he can get rid of him without taking the risk of weakening his own power and opening a wilder battle for power?  The Head of State has strengthened  his power owing to recent political successes", he added.
On December 8th,General Beshir agreed  with Yoweri Museweni, his opposite number in Uganda, to renew their diplomatic relations suspended since 1995. The European Union have officially restarted  their dialogue with Khartoum on November 10th and the aid suspended since 1990 might be  resumed. 
The Sudanese government recently took measures to return properties taken from opponents and to free political prisoners; it committed itself to a process of reconciliation within Sudan. This is supported by two mediators, Egypt  and Libya.

December 13th

The head of State defends the legitimacy of the state of   emergency

President Beshir said that the National Congress' leaders had created a situation of chaos like that  prevailing before the 1989 Coup d'Etat . What had happened was not a Coup  but rather  a measure to re-establish the prestige of authority and  bring unity among leaders."
He compared Sudan to a ship  which  requires  one captain  through a violent storm. Two captains bring about the ship's sinking. He insisted that he had the support of the "army,  police and  security officers".
Mr; Tourabi, on his part, denounced a "military coup d'Etat which violated  the constitution and made worthless  the elected National Assembly"; he called the Head of State  a "traitor"  who betrayed Islamic Values".  According to him the National Congress shall resist these measures by "all means and if they fail we shall have recourse to popular forces".

December 14th

Mr. Tourabi calls his  militants to resistance

"The  National Congress main authority, presided by Mr. Tourabi,    declares that « at this critical and decisive  moment, all  official institutions militants are called  to resist,  be faithful to their commitment and  respect  the NC decision'. This authority has adopted a recommendation calling to remove both General Beshir  and the first vice-president Ali Osman Mohamed Taha from the  NC main authority to whom they belong. The Council. of ministers approved the decisions of the Head of State declaring that they were aiming at  "unifying the political decision centre in the country".
Mr. Tourabi wants now to  appear as a guarantee  for democracy. The leading authority of the party called "individual and anti-constitutional " General Beshir's decisions and  declared that these "hasty decisions affect the progress of our country, which had arrived  to an advanced state of public freedoms and a fair sharing of power and wealth."
Seven members of the National Council leading authority met General Beshir on Tuesday but he rejected their request  to reconsider the measures he took on Sunday. He reminded them that he had taken these measures according to article 131 of the constitution, which gives him, he said, the right to take exceptional measures to save the country from "internal and external dangers".

The National Congress announces that it is no longer the party in power

"The National Congress is no longer the party in power since the President of the Republic  and his deputies have chosen to withdraw   by leading a Coup against its leading institution"  declared  the National Congress Popular Organisations Secretary, Mr. Mohamed El Hussein El Amine; a close assistant of the N C Secretary, Hassan El Tourabi. « The N C has not yet decided "to mobilise the popular basis against the measures " decreed by the President, added Mr. Amine, stressing that the party members "are still attached by an oath of fidelity to the NC Secretary General  and are ready to carry out his orders".   He declared that his party had no intention  to thwart « at once » the presidential measures and would wait sometimes "to assess the state of things ». « However if the test of strength with the president leads nowhere, he added, the National Congress will not hesitate to use all  means to restore freedom."
Formally denying a spilt within the National Congress Mr. Amine declared that "only a small group of leaders, among which the President, have chosen this way, but the bulk of the  party remains united and is not affected by the measures.
Some members of the dissolved parliament have decided to bring a constitutional action against the President.

December 19th
  
The National  Congress will be thinking of excluding Mr. Beshir, threatens Mr. Tourabi

The Islamic party with a majority in Parliament will be thinking of excluding President Beshir together with his supporters  if current efforts being made for reconciliation fail, threatened on Sunday the party leader Hassan el-Tourabi.
"A CN Majlis  al-Choura  urgent meeting   was called on December 27th. The Majlis el-Choura made of 600 members, is the highest instance of the party when the 10 000  members strong General Congress is not meeting.
The NC  decided to grant both the government and the mediators one month, starting from December 20th to "heal the split" between the government and the CN.
"If they (General Beshir and his supporters) refuse to retract their decision, it means that they think they dispose of a (political) support other than the party (to which they belong), that is to say the power of the army and the public financial power (of the state)"  declared Mr. Tourabi.
He also pointed out that the general has support within "the regional powers" mentioning specially "Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda as well as Algeria and some voices in the Gulf".
If this crisis is not solved when the delay expires, the NC will ... exclude dissidents in a pacific way, avoiding violence and clashes" precised Mr. Abdine.
The NC executive organ  would then offer to its Majlis al-Choura  (consultative council)  the appointment of a new  president of the political department, to replace president Omar al-Beshir, who would be excluded from the  party.
The government spokesman declared that he government will abide by any decision taken by the constitutional Court.

Khartoum wants to consult the opposition and is offering it to share power

On December 19th the High Committee for  Peace and Reconciliation met  under the chairmanship of the head of State Omar el-Beshir and decided to start a dialogue  with the opposition and partisan political forces about an amendment to the constitution and the law on parties" which came into force this year (1989), declared the spokesman , Ghazi Salah Eddin Atabani, minister of information. The Committee has further decided  to resume contact  with  Sudan's political forces within the framework of peace initiatives of Egypt and Libya on one side and of IGAD  on the other. He went on saying that "the aim is to hasten the holding of a national reconciliation conference towards a pacific settlement in the Sudan." The High Committee expressed his support for the measures which "strengthen the president's efforts on the way to peace and reconciliation with the opposition" declared the minister.
Sudan's President Omar al-Beshir  offered to the Northern opposition parties in exile to share power after their integration into a "wide national front". This  is the first time , since he took power in 1989, that general Beshir made such an offer  to the Northern opposition,  whose main  components are the Oumma of the former prime minister  Sadek al-Mahdi, which he overthrew in 1989, and the Democratic Unionist party of  Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani. These two personalities live in exile in Cairo.
This offer  does not concern the  Southern armed opposition, represented by the John Garang SPLA, which has been fighting since 1983 against  Northern political and religious supremacy.

December 27th 

The president guarantees  political parties freedom of action 

Sudan's president , general Omar el-Beshir, stated on Sunday evening in Khartoum that all  political parties were free  to have activities inside the country. "From now on, there is no longer any discrimination between  parties associated (to the government) and the non-associated  (opposition)…..all the forces may organise themselves  and have political activities " declared  Mr. Beshir at the end of a meal marking the end of the Moslem fast of Ramadan. He said he wanted a constructive opposition (….) and not  a destructive one.. General Beshir did not precise whether he wanted freedom of action for the Northern parties or for all the parties including those representing the Southern rebellion.

Re-organisation of the National Congress, a new blow struck against Tourabi

The N C,  decided on Monday a reform of its executive branch, a new blow struck against the dissolved parliament president Hassan el-Tourabi and president of the same branch. The NC consultative council  voted by a majority (from 525 members, 354 for, 3 against and one abstention) for the reform which should open the way to Omar al-Beshir partisans, so they occupy more seats within the "Leading Authority". This stand  might lead to Mr. Tourabi's departure from the position of the party Secretary General .The council decided to maintain Mr. Tourabi - the only member who abstained during voting- in his position of  NC secretary general and Mr. Beshir as president of the party, explained Mr. Abdel Hafiz.
The consultative council  moreover recommended the removal  of the state of emergency,  decreed in the country on December 12th  « as soon as possible ».

December 28th

Recourse to the constitutional Court to lift the State of  emergency and dissolution of Parliament

Seventy-five members of Parliament had recourse to the constitutional Court demanding the cancellation of President  el-Beshir 's decisions to establish a three months state of emergency  and dissolve parliament  since "these decisions constitute a violation of the constitution and a restriction of freedom", declared one of the three barristers who presented the recourse.
Sudan's vice-president, Ali Osmane Mohamed Taba, declared  that is government would accept "any decision of the constitutional Court". According to Sudan's constitution, the Head of State is entitled to proclaim  a state of emergency but this decision must be submitted to parliament within 15 days. If parliament approves, the state of emergency is maintained, and if not, it must be lifted.

December 31st

Sudan's president Omar el-Beshir announced  that the government members, the heads of central administration and  governorships resigned "to allow (the head of State) to  proceed freely to a reshuffle". These measures should allow the head of State to carry out his responsibilities according to the resolutions adopted recently by the N C. The resolutions allow him to lead the country affairs and prevent the NC general secretary , Hassan al-Tourabi, to interfere in these matters.
Mr. Beshir said he had accepted these resignations and asked those in charge to carry out routine business  up to the creation of a new cabinet  and the appointment of heads of central and regional administration.General Beshir made this announcement during a ceremony at the presidential palace, on the eve of the 44rh anniversary of Sudan's independence.
Moreover general Beshir reaffirmed his government commitment   to co-operate with IGAD  initiative as well as the Egypto-Libyan initiative aiming at  national reconciliation and peace in Southern Sudan..
He said he contemplated  enforcing several programmes to strengthen peace, re-install persons displaced by civil war and extend social services to Southern regions affected by war.
He also committed himself to act in order to implement  a "willful unity based on conviction,  between the North and the South of the Sudan".

January 1st 2000- 44th anniversary of Independence 

President Omar el-Beshir’s address to the Nation  said:
"We are on the way which  leads to an Islamic State".