Sudan - Interview on the Prospects for Sustainable Peace with the Leader of the Opposition Umma Party, Al-Sadig al-Mahdi

This briefing reports on an interview conducted on May 1, 2003, with Al-Sadig al-Mahdi, leader of the opposition Umma Party in Sudan. Al-Mahdi discusses the limitations of the IGAD-facilitated peace talks between the Sudanese government and the SPLM/A, arguing that a sustainable peace requires a more inclusive process involving 'new forces' and a transition to democratic elections.

• Al-Sadig al-Mahdi supports the IGAD peace process but argues it should only be a "preparatory agreement" leading to a "national all-party constitutional conference" to ensure legitimacy and include 'new forces' in the political process. He proposes an 'IGAD Plus' model that accepts the Machakos principles, the transitional period, and the southern self-determination vote, but makes further measures dependent on elections.
• Al-Mahdi identifies 'new forces' as essential components of a legitimate peace process, stating that a bilateral agreement between the Government of Sudan and the SPLM/A is unrealistic. These forces include the Sudan Civic Forum in Kampala, marginalized minorities, the South Sudan Defence Forces (SSDF), the Democratic Forum in London, the Nuba Mountain Conference, the South Blue Nile Conference, the Gok Dinka Conference, and armed resistance in Darfur, as well as the Justice Party and the Turabi faction.
• Regarding the National Islamic Front (NIF) government, Al-Mahdi suggests three alternatives: maintaining current policy, blaming fragmentation on the SPLM/A while supporting early southern secession to stop change, or moving forward via a vehicle similar to South Africa's CODESA. He is willing to join the government if the NIF commits to a transitional status leading to "genuinely democratic elections."
• The Umma Party has evolved its platform to support a "religiously neutral constitution" and argues that rights should be based on citizenship rather than theocracy. Al-Mahdi claims the party has won the argument that "there can be no Islamic state under Islam, only pursuit of Islamic principles" and has affirmed self-determination for the South.
• Al-Mahdi proposes a "strategic alliance" between the Umma Party and the SPLM/A, asserting that these two blocs alone have the capacity to ensure a united Sudan and a sustainable peace. He notes that while relations were previously "frosty," there is now a move toward a shared program for the period following national elections.
• Al-Mahdi criticizes the US for historically favoring "weaklings who don’t think" and basing peace processes on agreements between "two dictators, Garang and Beshir." However, he believes the US is becoming more rational and must engage the Umma Party to achieve genuine democratic transformation in Sudan.
• On the broader Arab World, Al-Mahdi expresses a desire to remove the "security blanket" provided by the US to oppressive regimes and "favours kicking out the old guard in the Arab World." He suggests that after the war in Iraq, Arabs may need to be "dragged into" history and might prefer new colonizers over "home-grown dictatorships."

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2003). Sudan - Interview on the Prospects for Sustainable Peace with the Leader of the Opposition Umma Party, Al-Sadig al-Mahdi. https://issafrica.org/topics/conflict-prevention-and-analysis/01-may-2003-sudan-interview-on-the-prospects-for-sustainable-peace-with-the-leader-of-the-opposition-umma-party-al-sadig-al-mahdi

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Sudan - Interview on the Prospects for Sustainable Peace with the Leader of the Opposition Umma Party, Al-Sadig al-Mahdi. 2003. https://issafrica.org/topics/conflict-prevention-and-analysis/01-may-2003-sudan-interview-on-the-prospects-for-sustainable-peace-with-the-leader-of-the-opposition-umma-party-al-sadig-al-mahdi.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Sudan - Interview on the Prospects for Sustainable Peace with the Leader of the Opposition Umma Party, Al-Sadig al-Mahdi |date=1 May 2003 |url=https://issafrica.org/topics/conflict-prevention-and-analysis/01-may-2003-sudan-interview-on-the-prospects-for-sustainable-peace-with-the-leader-of-the-opposition-umma-party-al-sadig-al-mahdi |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2003sudan, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Sudan - Interview on the Prospects for Sustainable Peace with the Leader of the Opposition Umma Party, Al-Sadig al-Mahdi}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2003}, month = may, url = {https://issafrica.org/topics/conflict-prevention-and-analysis/01-may-2003-sudan-interview-on-the-prospects-for-sustainable-peace-with-the-leader-of-the-opposition-umma-party-al-sadig-al-mahdi}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }