The former Speaker of Sudan’s Parliament Hassan el Turabi, has made a return in strength to the helm of power in Khartoum thanks to a meeting of the National Congress (NC, governmental) consultative council on January 22. The authority of 600 members ratified a new division of power between the head of state, general Omar Hassan al Bachir, and Al Turabi while also reiterating NC control over the country’s public life.

Hassan al Turabi even managed to get several of his supporters elected to National Congress leadership whilst at the same time avoiding the inclusion of certain personalities who are very hostile to him, such as foreign minister Mustafa Isamail Osman, the president’s adviser Nafi Ali Nafi, and information minister Amin Hassan Omar.

This NC meeting sealed the failure of al Bachir’s attempt to sideline al Turabi, something which is confirmed by the composition of the new government, announced on January 24 with the agreement of NC. True, some loyal to al Bachir, such as foreign minister Mustafa Hussein, interior minister Abderahim Mohamed Hussein, and defence minister Abderahman Sirr al Khitm, remain in key posts, twelve others find a portfolio, and ten are newcomers. But al Turabi’s partisans are not absent from the new government team where they are represented notably by Abdallah Hassan Ahmad as minister for government affairs.

I.O.N. – In fact, a modus vivendi has once again been established between Sudan’s two leaders: al Bachir will keep the presidency and the reins of foreign policy in order to continue to reassure the country’s neighbours, whilst al Tourabi remains the most influential within NC, which still holds control of public affairs. This equilibrium remains shaky and will not fail to give to fresh splits and confrontations. In the meantime, Egypt is the big loser in the reconciliation. During his recent visit to Cairo, al Bachir had asked Ussama el Baz, adviser Egyptian to head of State Hosni Mubarak, to help put Hassan al Turabi out of action. Cairo made several gestures of goodwill and el Baz went to plead al Bachir’s cause with the Us embassy in Cairo. Without convincing his listeners, for they still have bitter memories that it was Cairo which had supplied them with “information” on the alleged chemical weapons factory near Khartoum which was destroyed by United States air-land missiles in 1998.