Gaafar Nimeiry

Gaafar Muhammad an-Nimeiry was a prominent Sudanese military officer and politician. He served as the head of state in Sudan from 1969 to 1985. He first led as the Chairman of the National Revolutionary Command Council. Later, he held the title of President. Nimeiry rose through the ranks of the Sudanese Army. He graduated from the War College in Omdurman in 1952. He also earned a Master of Military Science from a college in Kansas in 1966.

Nimeiry took power through a military coup in 1969. This event was called the "May Revolution." He and a small group of officers overthrew the civilian government. After the takeover, Nimeiry suspended the constitution. He also dissolved the National Assembly and all political parties. He established a one-party state using the Sudanese Socialist Union. This organization became the only legal political entity in the country. At first, Nimeiry followed socialist policies. He nationalized banks and foreign-owned businesses to increase state control.

His political direction changed suddenly in 1971. A group of communist-backed officers attempted a coup to remove him. Nimeiry was briefly ousted from power during this attempt. However, he was restored by loyalist troops and help from Libya. The Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, sent fighter aircraft to assist Nimeiry. Following this event, Nimeiry moved away from the Soviet Union. He shifted his focus toward the United States and China. China began training the Sudanese army and providing fighter aircraft.

In 1972, Nimeiry achieved a major diplomatic victory. He signed the Addis Ababa Agreement to end the First Sudanese Civil War. This treaty granted autonomy to the non-Muslim southern region. This agreement led to eleven years of stability in the country. During this time, Nimeiry pursued capitalist economic policies. He wanted Sudan to become the "breadbasket of the Arab world." He used oil capital and Western technology for large projects. These included the Kenana sugar scheme and oil exploration by Chevron.

Despite the peace in the south, Nimeiry faced many threats in the north. In 1976, an insurgent force crossed the border from Libya. This led to three days of intense fighting in Khartoum and Omdurman. About 3,000 people died during these battles. To stabilize his rule, Nimeiry began a "National Reconciliation" in 1977. He invited Islamist leaders, such as Hassan al-Turabi, back to Sudan. This move helped him gain support from religious groups. However, it also began to marginalize secular and southern political forces.

By the early 1980s, Nimeiry's policies shifted toward Islamism. In 1983, he imposed Sharia law throughout the entire country. These were known as the "September Laws." This decision violated the previous peace agreement with the south. It triggered the Second Sudanese Civil War against the Sudan People's Liberation Army. At the same time, Sudan faced a massive economic crisis. Between 1980 and 1985, the Sudanese pound lost 80 percent of its value. Hyperinflation made daily life very difficult for citizens.

Economic hardship and political unrest eventually ended his rule. The government struggled with a foreign debt of $9 billion. A severe regional drought also hurt the country. People faced long queues for petrol, bread, and sugar. In April 1985, massive protests and strikes paralyzed the capital. While Nimeiry was in Washington, D.C., a military coup occurred. General Abdel Rahman Swar al-Dahab took control of the government. This event is known as the 1985 Revolution. Nimeiry went into exile in Egypt for many years.

Nimeiry eventually returned to Sudan in May 1999. He ran for president in the year 2000. He received only 9.6 percent of the votes in that election. In 2005, his political party merged with the ruling party. Nimeiry died of natural causes in Omdurman on May 30, 2009. Tens of thousands of people attended his funeral. His death led to new political splits among his supporters. He remains a complex figure in the history of Sudan.