Calm has eluded Sudan since 1956

Sudan has been at war most of the time since independence in 1956, with the most significant conflicts between north and south being the 1956-1972 and 1983-2005 ones.

Until 1947, the British had separated north and south, giving political power to the northern part. Fearing marginalisation by the north, southern army officers mutinied in 1955, forming the Anya-Nya guerilla movement.

General Abboud seized power in 1958 and instituted the policy of Islamisation. Gen Abboud was, however, forced out by a 1964 popular uprising.

Numerous Arab-dominated governments followed until the 1969 coup by General Nimieri. The failed 1971 Communist coup left Nimieri politically isolated, pushing him to seek peace with Ethiopia, Uganda and southern rebels.

The Addis Ababa peace agreement with Anya-Nya in March 1972 granted autonomy to the south and integrated Anya-Nya into the national army.

Systematic violations of the agreement by the government, combined with an increasing Islamic shift in the late 1970s and discovery of oil in the south, eventually led to resumption of war and deployment of northern troops to the oil-rich town of Bentiu.

In 1983, southern troops mutinied against the government. Nimieri abrogated the Addis Ababa agreement in June, dissolving the south’s constitutional guarantees and declaring Arabic the official language.

Islamic Sharia law replaced the Sudanese law in September. Southern grievances crystalised around the Sudan People’s Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA), led by John Garang.

Popular uprising overthrew Nimieri in 1985 and Sadiq al-Mahdi’s democratic government (Umma Party) was elected in 1986. Moves towards an SPLA-government peace initiative halted when the National Islamic Front led a bloodless coup in June 1989.