Government of Sudan

The Government of Sudan is the federal provisional government created by the Constitution of Sudan. It has three main parts: the executive, the parliament, and the judiciary. In the past, the president was also the leader of the country, the head of the government, and the top commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces.

Laws were made by both the government and two groups called the National Assembly and the Council of States, which together made up the National Legislature. The judiciary was separate and fair, led by the Constitutional Court.

After big problems, many people felt that Sudan was ruled by just one person and his party. In 2019, this leader and his party were removed in a military coup. For a while, a group called the Transitional Military Council was in charge. Later, this group handed power to the Transitional Sovereignty Council. But in 2021, another leader took control in a coup d'état and changed the leadership again.

Executive

Main articles: Cabinet of Sudan and Kamil Idris government

The government of Sudan was led by President al-Bashir. His team was mainly from the National Islamic Front, a political group that started from the Muslim Brotherhood. In 1998, this group created the National Congress Party, which helped shape Sudan's policies.

Al-Bashir changed his team many times, adding people from different groups. In 2019, al-Bashir was removed from power in a coup, and the government was dissolved. Another coup in 2021 brought more changes in leadership.

Ministries

Ministries include:

Defense
Education
Finance
Foreign Affairs
Higher Education and Scientific Research
Information
Justice
Oil and Gas
Interior

Legislative

Sudan changed a lot after signing a peace agreement on January 9, 2005. This ended a long fight between the government in Khartoum and a group called the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement. After this, Sudan created a new National Legislature with two parts: the National Assembly and the Council of States.

In April 2019, this legislature was closed down during a coup. Since February 2025, a new group called the Transitional Legislative Authority has taken over its job.

Judicial

Sudan has a Supreme Court and a Special Revolutionary Court. These courts help make important decisions and handle legal matters in the country.

Legal system

Main article: Criminal Act 1991 (Sudan)

The legal system is based on Islamic law. Since 1991, this law has been used in the northern states of Sudan. It applies to everyone living there, no matter their religion. There are some separate religious courts. Sudan accepts the authority of the International Court of Justice with some conditions.

Administrative divisions

Sudan is divided into eighteen states. Each state has a governor and a group of leaders chosen by the president. Governors are chosen in a special way: the president picks three people to run. The one who gets at least half of the votes becomes the governor. If no one gets half of the votes at first, the person with the fewest votes is removed, and the election is held again until someone gets at least half of the votes.

In April 2019, the state governments and their groups stopped working. Here are the states of Sudan:

North Kordofan (ولاية شمال كردفان Wilāyat Shamāl Kurdufān)
Northern (ولاية الشمالية Wilāyat ash-Shamāliyyah)
Kassala (ولاية كسّلا Wilāyat Kassalā)
Blue Nile (ولاية النيل الأزرق Wilāyat an-Nīl al-Azraq)
North Darfur (ولاية شمال دارفور Wilāyat Shamāl Dārfūr)
South Darfur (ولاية جنوب دارفور Wilāyat Janūb Dārfūr)
South Kordofan (ولاية جنوب كردفان Wilāyat Janūb Kurdufān)
Gezira (ولاية الجزيرة Wilāyat al-Jazīrah)
White Nile (ولاية النيل الأبيض Wilāyat an-Nīl al-Abyaḍ)
River Nile (ولاية نهر النيل Wilāyat Nahr an-Nīl)
Red Sea (ولاية البحر الأحمر Wilāyat al-Baḥr al-Aḥmar)
Al Qadarif (ولاية القضارف Wilāyat al-Qaḍārif)
Sennar (ولاية سنّار Wilāyat Sinnār)
West Darfur (ولاية غرب دارفور Wilāyat Gharb Dārfūr)
Central Darfur (ولاية وسط دارفور Wilāyat Wasṭ Dārfūr)
East Darfur (ولاية شرق دارفور Wilāyat Sharq Dārfūr)
West Kordofan (ولاية غرب كردفان Wilāyat Gharb Kurdufān)

State and local government

In Sudan, the central government and local areas did not always work well together. The Interim National Constitution said each state could have its own leaders, rules, and courts. Each state had a governor and some ministers. They worked together to make decisions for the state, using the constitution's rules. Each state had a main city and smaller areas.

Governors were chosen by voting in 2010. After that, they picked their own ministers. Most governors were from the same group, but the governor of Blue Nile was from a different group. Money from local areas went to the national government, but some small local governments did not have enough money to work properly.

International organization participation

Main article: Foreign relations of Sudan § Multilateral relations

Sudan is part of many international groups. These groups help countries work together on important issues like development, trade, and peace. Some of the groups Sudan belongs to include: