Draft:Omar al-Bashir

Omar al-Bashir
Name	Omar al-Bashir
Other Names	{{{other_names}}}
Personal Details
Birth Place	Hosh Bonqa, Northern Sudan
Brith Date	1944 (CE)
Death Place	{{{death_place}}}
Death Date	{{{death_date}}}
Religion	Islam

Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir is one of the famous military figures of Sudan and served as the fourth president of this country for thirty years. During his presidency, Sudan experienced many significant ups and downs. He was both a perpetrator of a coup and subdued by a coup movement, and contemporary Sudanese history is inextricably linked with his name.

Biography

Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir was born in 1944 (CE) in "Hosh Bonqa", a village near the northern city of "Shendi", into a Muslim milkman's family. He belongs to the "Badiria Dahmashia" clan of the large "Ja'alin" tribe, one of the ethnic groups of northern Sudan.

Education

He completed his primary education in the city of "Shendi" and then went to Khartoum for secondary education. During his adolescence, while studying, he also worked as a mechanic apprentice to support his living expenses. At this age, he joined the Islamic Movement of Sudan. After completing his studies at the Sudanese Military College (around 1966), Bashir pursued his higher education in Malaysia, Cairo, and again in Sudan.

Political and Military Activities

He joined the Sudanese army at the age of 16-17. As a paratrooper officer, he participated alongside Egyptian forces in the 1973 war (Yom Kippur) against Israel. After returning to Sudan in the first half of the 1980s, he was appointed as one of the military officials in the southern half of the country and became responsible for military operations against the Sudan People's Liberation Movement. During this period, he carried out a coup in favor of "Hassan al-Turabi", leader of the "National Islamic Front" of Sudan, which was unsuccessful, but led to his unofficial exile to "Muglad" in South Kordofan.

Overthrow of Sadiq al-Mahdi's Government

General al-Bashir rebelled against Sadiq al-Mahdi on 30 June 1989 with the support of the National Islamic Front led by Hassan al-Turabi, who was himself one of the four parties of Sadiq al-Mahdi's National Unity Government, and overthrew him.

Formation of the Revolutionary Command Council for National Salvation

Omar al-Bashir and a group of officers under his command established a "Revolutionary Command Council for National Salvation", whose slogan was saving Sudan from the clutches of "corrupt political parties".

Seizure of Power

This council of military elites (15 members), with the help of a non-military cabinet, appointed al-Bashir simultaneously as President, Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence of the country.

Closure of Non-Religious Centres and Political-Religious Purge

He closed trade unions, political parties, newspapers, and all non-religious institutions and associations, and carried out a widespread purge within the government and military forces. All secular or sectarian individuals (affiliated with opposition parties) were severely suppressed and purged. Even very soon, senior army commanders who were with him in the coup were also purged and executed.

Imposition of Sharia Law on Non-Muslims

The implementation of Sharia law in Sudan dates back to 1983, and the rise to power of General "Jaafar Nimeiry" and the influence of the "National Islamic Front" led by Hassan al-Turabi. The truth is that Sudan is a country with numerous ethnic, racial, and religious disputes. Two ethnic groups, Arab and African, are present there, and three religious groups, Muslim, Christian, and Animist (traditional African religions), live there. Hence, the policy of religious unification has always led to an increase in ethnic and religious conflicts. One of the main factors in the overthrow of Jaafar Nimeiry was this widespread opposition to the implementation of Sharia laws. However, after a period of stagnation from 1985 to 1989, and with the rise of al-Bashir, Islamic Sharia (with a Sunni interpretation) was again established as the basis of legislation. Although Omar al-Bashir, who was aware of all inconsistencies and ethnic, racial, and religious diversities, and religious penal laws in the 1990s, were not carried out routinely, but randomly (solely to emphasize the existence of these laws). Three months after the independence of South Sudan, in a speech in Khartoum, he announced the comprehensive Islamisation and strict implementation of Sharia laws as his government's programme. Bashir said at the Public University of Khartoum: "Ninety-eight percent of the people are Muslim and the future constitution will reflect this. Islam will be the official religion and the main source (of legislation)." According to Reuters (13 October 2013), he warned the millions of Southerners who still remained within the territory of Sudan that by the following spring, they must either leave the country or submit to the strict implementation of Islamic laws.

Consolidation of Power

Omar al-Bashir dissolved the Revolutionary Command Council in October 1993, named himself President, and became the undisputed ruler of Sudan.

Replacement of the Pound with the Dinar

He replaced a new currency unit called the "Sudanese Dinar" with the Sudanese Pound, which had lost 90 percent of its value during the turmoil of the 1980s to 1990s (however, the new Pound again replaced this Dinar).

Continuation of Presidency and Assistance to al-Turabi in Gaining Parliament Speakership

In 1996, al-Bashir was elected President of Sudan for another five-year term in an election in which he was the sole candidate. That same year, parliamentary elections were held, and his political partner, Hassan al-Turabi, secured a seat in parliament and became Speaker of the Parliament.

Easing of Repression in Cooperation with Parliament

In 1998, the President and his parliamentary partners enacted a new law that slightly opened the political space for parties other than the President's party, the National Congress Party; however, the President's opponents did not gain a significant share of political power during the 1990s.

Ousting of al-Turabi

On 12 December 1999, relations between the two partners deteriorated, and the President, by deploying tanks to the parliament, dismissed Hassan al-Turabi, sent him to Khartoum prison, and detained him until 2003.

Third Presidential Term

In 2000, al-Bashir was elected for another five-year term as President.

Agreement on the Establishment of a Transitional Government in South Sudan

In 2005, peace talks with South Sudan yielded results that led to the establishment of a transitional government based on the peace agreement between Omar al-Bashir and Salva Kiir, leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement. The transitional government lasted until 2010.

Victory in the Fourth Presidential Election

In 2010, after years, a multi-party election was held in which Omar al-Bashir won the presidency with approximately 68 percent of the vote (though, as usual, there was significant controversy and criticism from rivals regarding the election's integrity).

Independence of South Sudan and Its Consequences

In the autonomous southern region as well, according to the aforementioned peace agreement, Salva Kiir was elected President. Following this election, the economic situation improved due to the establishment of relative stability and increased oil extraction in South Sudan. However, this did not mean the economic situation of the Sudanese masses improved. Following recommendations by the IMF in exchange for loans to South Sudan and implementing economic reforms, government subsidies were cut in many areas, and the inflation rate reached approximately 36 percent. Additionally, in 2011, with the official separation of South Sudan, the Southern government, contrary to the agreement made in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (2005) regarding the 50-50 division of oil revenues, allocated more than 75 percent of oil income for itself. This led to a significant reduction in the Sudanese government's revenue and deepened economic dissatisfaction. Since the only route for transporting Southern oil was the Northern pipeline, the Sudanese government was able to halt exports to reach an agreement with Salva Kiir over transit and pipeline maintenance rights. This further reduced Omar al-Bashir's government budget. Consequently, the army budget for confronting militant groups in crisis-stricken areas such as Blue Nile, South Kordofan, and Darfur was reduced, and the President's political power was weakened even further. During a referendum on 9 July 2011, South Sudan, with a Christian and Animist population of approximately 12 million, gained independence. The first official declaration of recognition was made in less than 24 hours after the announcement of the result by Israel.

Darfur crisis

One of the major events that significantly impacted Sudan and the political role of Omar al-Bashir was the Darfur crisis in 1998. Darfur is a region in western Sudan, adjacent to Libya, Chad, and the Central African Republic, with a population of approximately 6 million. Since 1989, Darfur itself has been divided into three states: North, Central, and South, the governor of each section being appointed by the Khartoum government. Approximately one hundred Arab and African tribes reside in this region. Arabs are livestock herders and have a nomadic lifestyle, while those of African descent are primarily engaged in agriculture, and the religion of almost the entire population is Islam. In February 2003, two armed groups known as the 'Sudan Liberation Army' and the 'Justice and Equality Movement', claiming that those of African descent were marginalized and the government had failed to protect sedentary Africans against nomadic Arabs, began armed action against the Sudanese government. Anti-government militias accused the regime of Omar al-Bashir of apartheid against non-Arab tribes of the region such as the 'Fur', 'Zaghawa', and 'Masalit'. Police stations and some army bases were occupied by these groups. Their most significant operation was the attack on 'El Fasher' airport, the capital of North Darfur state, which resulted in the death of at least 70 Sudanese soldiers. The Sudanese government's response was swift and crushing. In addition to the Sudanese army forces, Arab 'Janjaweed' militias entered battle against these armed groups in support of the government. According to reports, logistical and weapons support was provided to the Janjaweed by Sudanese army intelligence.

Western governments, although they hesitated greatly in providing aid to civilians, used the opportunity obtained to criticize the uncooperative and so-called rogue government of Omar al-Bashir. They warned the Sudanese government that if it was unable to control the situation, international forces would intervene. Western media pursued the line of ethnic cleansing by the Sudanese government and Janjaweed to exert pressure on Omar al-Bashir. However, this issue was refuted by the field visit of the UN Secretary-General to the region, and he reported the President's interest in resolving the issue through negotiation with armed groups. After two resolutions, 1564 and 1706, were issued by the UN Security Council against what was described as obstruction by the Sudanese government in aid delivery and international investigation into the Darfur issue, the Sudanese representative at the UN, rejecting the accusations, stated that the Sudanese government had granted UN officials access to crisis-stricken areas, but since they did not confirm government obstruction and ethnic cleansing, their report was consequently not heeded by the Security Council. Finally, on 4 February 2009, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for 'Omar al-Bashir' on charges of crimes against humanity in Darfur. This ruling was unprecedented in the history of international law, as it was the first time an arrest warrant was issued for a sitting legal leader. After the army took control of the country on 11 April 2019, Omar al-Bashir was arrested. An order for the interrogation of Omar Hassan al-Bashir was issued on 2 May 2019 by Al-Waleed Sayyid Ahmed Mahmoud, the Attorney General of Sudan, on charges of financing terrorists and money laundering. On 11 February 2020, the Sudanese government, after negotiations between the government and Darfur region rebels, reached an agreement with the International Criminal Court based in The Hague, Netherlands, to hand over Omar al-Bashir to be tried on charges of war crimes and the genocide of 300,000 people in Darfur. Al-Bashir had received a total of $90 million from Saudi Arabian officials, to which he confessed in court. He is confined and ill in Sudan itself after the trial.