The Most Famous

POLITICIANS from Sudan

This page contains a list of the greatest Sudanese Politicians. The pantheon dataset contains 19,576 Politicians, 15 of which were born in Sudan. This makes Sudan the birth place of the 111th most number of Politicians behind Guinea, and Sri Lanka.

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Sudanese Politicians of all time. This list of famous Sudanese Politicians is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Sudanese Politicians.

1. Mohamed Naguib (1901 - 1984)

With an HPI of 68.99, Mohamed Naguib is the most famous Sudanese Politician. His biography has been translated into 56 different languages on wikipedia.

Major General Mohamed Bey Naguib Youssef Qutb El-Qashlan (Arabic: محمد بي نجيب يوسف قطب القشلان; 19 February 1901 – 28 August 1984), known simply as Mohamed Naguib (محمد نجيب, Egyptian Arabic: [mæˈħæmmæd næˈɡiːb]), was an Egyptian military officer and revolutionary who, along with Gamal Abdel Nasser, was one of the two principal leaders of the Free Officers movement of 1952 that toppled the monarchy of Egypt and the Sudan, leading to the establishment of the Republic of Egypt. A distinguished and decorated general who was wounded in action in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, he became the leader of the Free Officers Movement of nationalist army officers opposed to the continued presence of British troops in Egypt and Sudan, and the corruption and incompetence of King Farouk. Following the toppling of Farouk in July 1952, Naguib went on to serve as the head of the Revolutionary Command Council, the prime minister of Egypt, and later its first president, successfully negotiating the independence of Sudan (hitherto a condominium of Egypt and the United Kingdom), and the withdrawal of all British military personnel from Egypt. His tenure as president came to end in November 1954 due to disagreements with other members of the Free Officers, particularly Nasser, who forced him to resign and succeeded him as president.

2. Omar al-Bashir (b. 1944)

With an HPI of 64.41, Omar al-Bashir is the 2nd most famous Sudanese Politician. His biography has been translated into 79 different languages.

Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir (born 1 January 1944) is a Sudanese former military officer and politician who served as Sudan's head of state under various titles from 1989 until 2019, when he was deposed in a coup d'état. He was subsequently incarcerated, tried and convicted on multiple corruption charges. He came to power in 1989 when, as a brigadier general in the Sudanese Army, he led a group of officers in a military coup that ousted the democratically elected government of prime minister Sadiq al-Mahdi after it began negotiations with rebels in the south; he subsequently replaced President Ahmed al-Mirghani as head of state. He was elected three times as president in elections that have been under scrutiny for electoral fraud. In 1992, al-Bashir founded the National Congress Party, which remained the dominant political party in the country until 2019. In March 2009, al-Bashir became the first sitting head of state to be indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), for allegedly directing a campaign of mass killing, rape, and pillage against civilians in Darfur. On 11 February 2020, the Government of Sudan announced that it had agreed to hand over al-Bashir to the ICC for trial. In October 2005, al-Bashir's government negotiated an end to the Second Sudanese Civil War, leading to a referendum in the south, resulting in the separation of the south as the country of South Sudan. In the Darfur region, he oversaw the War in Darfur that resulted in death tolls of around 10,000 according to the Sudanese Government, but most sources suggest between 200,000 and 400,000. During his presidency, there were several violent struggles between the Janjaweed militia and rebel groups such as the Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) in the form of guerrilla warfare in the Darfur region. The civil war displaced over 2.5 million people out of a total population of 6.2 million in Darfur and created a crisis in the diplomatic relations between Sudan and Chad. The rebels in Darfur lost the support from Libya after the death of Muammar Gaddafi and the collapse of his regime in 2011. In July 2008, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Luis Moreno Ocampo, accused al-Bashir of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in Darfur. The court issued an arrest warrant for al-Bashir on 4 March 2009 on counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, but ruled that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute him for genocide. However, on 12 July 2010, the court issued a second warrant containing three separate counts of genocide. The new warrant, like the first, was delivered to the Sudanese government, which did not recognize either the warrant or the ICC. The indictments do not allege that Bashir personally took part in such activities; instead, they say that he is "suspected of being criminally responsible, as an indirect co-perpetrator". The court's decision was opposed by the African Union, Arab League and Non-Aligned Movement as well as the governments of Libya, Somalia, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, South Sudan, Djibouti, Eritrea, Pakistan, Algeria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Palestine, Ethiopia, Tunisia, Morocco, Lebanon, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. From December 2018 onwards, al-Bashir faced large-scale protests which demanded his removal from power. On 11 April 2019, Bashir was ousted in a military coup d'état. In September 2019, Bashir was replaced by the Transitionary Military Council which transferred executive power to a mixed civilian–military Sovereignty Council and a civilian prime minister, Abdalla Hamdok. Two months later, the Forces of Freedom and Change alliance (which holds indirect political power during the 39-month Sudanese transition to democracy), Hamdok, and Sovereignty Council member Siddiq Tawer stated that Bashir would be eventually transferred to the ICC. He was convicted of corruption in December of that year and sentenced to two years in prison. His trial regarding his role in the coup that brought him into power started on 21 July 2020.

3. Piye (-800 - -716)

With an HPI of 63.16, Piye is the 3rd most famous Sudanese Politician. His biography has been translated into 43 different languages.

Piye (also interpreted as Pankhy or Piankhi; d. 714 BC) was an ancient Kushite king and founder of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt, who ruled Egypt from 744–714 BC. He ruled from the city of Napata, located deep in Nubia, modern-day Sudan.

4. John Garang (1945 - 2005)

With an HPI of 58.81, John Garang is the 4th most famous Sudanese Politician. His biography has been translated into 37 different languages.

Dr. John Garang De Mabior (June 23, 1945 – July 30, 2005) was a Sudanese politician and revolutionary leader. From 1983 to 2005, he led the Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M, Now known as South Sudan People's Defense Forces) as a commander in chief during the Second Sudanese Civil War. He served as First Vice President of Sudan for three weeks, from the comprehensive peace agreement of 2005 until his death in a helicopter crash on July 30, 2005. A developmental economist by profession, Garang was one of the major influences on the movement that led to the foundation of South Sudan’s independence from the rule of Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir.

5. Gaafar Nimeiry (1930 - 2009)

With an HPI of 58.20, Gaafar Nimeiry is the 5th most famous Sudanese Politician. His biography has been translated into 38 different languages.

Gaafar Muhammad an-Nimeiry (otherwise spelled in English as Gaafar Nimeiry, Jaafar Nimeiry, or Ja'far Muhammad Numayri; Arabic: جعفر محمد النميري; 1 January 1930 – 30 May 2009) was a Sudanese military officer and politician who served as the fourth head of state of Sudan from 1969 to 1985, first as Chairman of the National Revolutionary Command Council and then as President. A military officer, he came to power after a military coup in 1969. Establishing a one-party state, with his Sudanese Socialist Union as the sole legal political entity in the country, Nimeiry pursued socialist and Pan-Arabist policies and close collaboration with Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt and Muammar Gaddafi of Libya. In 1971 Nimeiry survived a pro-Soviet coup attempt, after which he forged an alliance with Mao Zedong of China, and, eventually, with the United States as well. In 1972 he signed the Addis Ababa Agreement, ending the First Sudanese Civil War. In his last years in power he also adopted aspects of Islamism, and in 1983 he imposed Sharia law throughout the country, precipitating the Second Sudanese Civil War. He was ousted from power in 1985 and went into exile in Egypt. He returned in 1999 and unsuccessfully ran in the presidential elections in 2000.

6. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (b. 1960)

With an HPI of 57.51, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan is the 6th most famous Sudanese Politician. His biography has been translated into 41 different languages.

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan Abdelrahman al-Burhan (Arabic: عبد الفتاح البرهان عبد الرحمن البرهان, romanized: ʿAbd al-Fattāḥ al-Burhān ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Burhān; born 1960) is a Sudanese army general who is the de facto ruler of Sudan. Following the Sudanese Revolution in April 2019, he was handed control of the military junta, the Transitional Military Council, a day after it was formed, due to protesters' dissatisfaction with the establishment ties of initial leader Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf. He served as chairman of the TMC until a draft constitutional declaration signed with civilians went into effect on 17 August and a collective head of state Transitional Sovereignty Council was formed, also to be initially headed by al-Burhan. The 2020 Juba Agreement allowed al-Burhan to continue to lead the Sovereignty Council for another 20 months, rather than stepping down as planned in February 2021. Al-Burhan seized power in a coup d'état in October 2021, dissolved the Sovereignty Council, and reconstituted it the following month with new membership, keeping himself as chairman. He was formerly the General Inspector of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). He is leading the SAF against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the ongoing Sudanese civil war.

7. Abdallahi ibn Muhammad (1846 - 1899)

With an HPI of 54.88, Abdallahi ibn Muhammad is the 7th most famous Sudanese Politician. His biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Abdullah ibn-Mohammed al-Khalifa or Abdullah al-Taashi or Abdallah al-Khalifa, also known as "The Khalifa" (Arabic: c. عبدالله بن سيد محمد الخليفة; 1846 – 25 November 1899) was a Sudanese Ansar ruler who was one of the principal followers of Muhammad Ahmad. Ahmad claimed to be the Mahdi, building up a large following. After Ahmad's death, Abdullah ibn-Mohammed took over the movement, adopting the title of Khalifah al-Mahdi (usually rendered as "Khalifa"). He attempted to create a kingdom, which led to widespread discontent, and his eventual defeat and death at the hands of the British and Egyptians.

8. Abdel Rahman Swar al-Dahab (1934 - 2018)

With an HPI of 54.17, Abdel Rahman Swar al-Dahab is the 8th most famous Sudanese Politician. His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.

Abdel Rahman Suwar al-Dahab (otherwise known as Suwar al-Dahab or al-Dahab; 1934 – 18 October 2018) (Arabic: عبد الرحمن سوار الذهب) was a Sudanese military officer who served as the Head of State of Sudan from 6 April 1985, to 6 May 1986. His full name has also been listed by the Sudanese Ministry of Defence as Abdul Rahman Muhammad Hassan Swar Al Thahab.

9. Ibrahim Abboud (1900 - 1983)

With an HPI of 53.95, Ibrahim Abboud is the 9th most famous Sudanese Politician. His biography has been translated into 31 different languages.

Ibrahim Abboud (Arabic: إبراهيم عبود; 26 October 1900 – 8 September 1983) was a Sudanese military officer and political figure who served as the head of state of Sudan between 1958 and 1964 and as President of Sudan in 1964; however, he soon resigned, ending Sudan's first period of military rule. A career soldier, Abboud served in World War II in Egypt and Iraq. In 1949, Abboud became the deputy Commander in Chief of the Sudanese military. Upon independence, Abboud became the Commander in Chief of the Military of Sudan. Ibrahim Abboud was born 26 October 1900 in Mohammed-Gol, near the old port city of Suakin on the Red Sea. He trained as an engineer at the Gordon Memorial College and at the Military College in Khartoum. He received a commission in the Egyptian Army in 1918 and transferred to the Sudan Defence Force in 1925, after its creation separate from the Egyptian army. During World War II he served in Eritrea, in Ethiopia, with the Sudan Defence Force, and with the British Army in North Africa. After the war, Abboud commanded the Camel Corps, and then rose rapidly to commander of the Sudan Defence Force in 1949 and assistant commander in chief in 1954. With the declaration of independence for the Sudan in 1956, he was made commander in chief of the Sudanese military forces. After the Sudanese army staged a coup d'état in November 1958, overthrowing the civilian government of Abdallah Khalil, Gen. Abboud led the new military government. Philip Agee alleged that CIA engineered the 1958 coup in In the Company. Between 1956 and 1958, Sudanese nationalist leaders from both major parties sought to find solutions to the seemingly intractable problems of building a nation, developing the economy and creating a permanent constitution. Neither Ismail al-Azhari, leader of the Nationalist Unionist Party and the first Prime Minister of Sudan, nor his rival, Abdallah Khalil, the Umma party leader and successor to al-Azhari as prime minister, was able to overcome the weaknesses of the political system or to grapple with the country's problems. Parliamentary government was so discredited that Gen. Abboud, who formerly had remained studiously aloof from politics, led a coup d'état on 17 November 1958, to end, in his words, "the state of degeneration, chaos, and instability of the country." The Council of State and cabinet were dismissed, parliament and all political parties were declared dissolved, and the constitution was suspended.

10. Ismail al-Azhari (1901 - 1969)

With an HPI of 53.54, Ismail al-Azhari is the 10th most famous Sudanese Politician. His biography has been translated into 28 different languages.

Ismail al-Azhari (Arabic: إسماعيل الأزهري, romanized: ʼIsmāʻīl al-Azharī; October 20, 1900 – August 26, 1969) was a Sudanese nationalist and political figure. He served as the first Prime Minister of Sudan between 1954 and 1956, and as Head of State of Sudan from 1965 until he was overthrown by Gaafar Nimeiry in 1969. He was president of the National Unionist Party (now the Democratic Unionist Party) when the unionist parties united under his leadership. In 1954 he was elected prime minister from within the parliament and under the influence of the growing sense of the need for independence of Sudan and before the union discussion with Egypt. With the support of the independent movement, he submitted the proposal to declare independence to parliament. He assumed the post of president of the Council of Sovereignty after the revolution of October 1964 during the second period of democracy. He was arrested during the May 1969 coup and imprisoned in Cooper prison and when his health declined, he was admitted to hospital, where he remained until his death.

People

Pantheon has 17 people classified as Sudanese politicians born between 800 BC and 1960. Of these 17, 5 (29.41%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Sudanese politicians include Omar al-Bashir, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and Abdalla Hamdok. The most famous deceased Sudanese politicians include Mohamed Naguib, Piye, and John Garang. As of April 2024, 1 new Sudanese politicians have been added to Pantheon including Osman Hussein.