IRIN Web Special - Sudan - The Road to Peace
Monday 17 January 2005
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IRIN Webspecial on the Sudan Peace Process

SUDAN: Chronology of Key Events
��1955
1955 - Disorder breaks out in south Sudan on the eve of independence.
1956 - Sudan becomes independent.
1958 - General Ibrahim Abbud leads military coup against the civilian government elected earlier in the year.
��1962
1962 - Anya Nya movement assumes control of southern revolt.
1964 - The "October Revolution" overthrows Abbud and a national government is established.
1969 - Ja'far Numayri leads the "May Revolution" military coup.
1972
1972 - Under the Addis Ababa peace agreement between the government and the Anya Nya the south becomes a self-governing region.
1978 - Oil discovered in Bentiu in southern Sudan.
��1983
1983 - Numayri divides the south into three regions. Civil war breaks out again in the south involving government forces and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), lead by John Garang.

Islamic law imposed.
1985 - Numayri is deposed in a bloodless military coup by a group of military officers and a Transitional Military Council is set up to rule the country.
1986 - Coalition government formed after general elections, with Sadiq al-Mahdi as prime minister.
1988 - Coalition partner the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) reaches ceasefire agreement with the SPLM/A, but it is not implemented.
1989 - Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS) established. Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi accepts DUP-SPLM/A agreement. Sadiq al-Mahdi is deposed in a bloodless military coup led by Brig. (later Lt-Gen) Umar Hasan al-Bashir.
��1992
1992 - Nigerian peace conferences (Abuja I and II) held, but little progress made.
1993 - Revolution Command Council dissolved after Umar Hasan al-Bashir is appointed president.
1994 - IGADD start peace process and establish a Declaration of Principles (DoP).
1995 - Egyptian President Husni Mubarak accuses Sudan of being involved in an attempt to assassinate him in Addis Ababa.
1995 - Asmara Declaration of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) acknowledging right of south Sudan to self-determination and calling for separation of state and religion and armed struggle to overthrow the ruling National Islamic Front (NIF) regime.
1997 - Sudanese government accepts IGAD DoP and to discuss self-determination for south Sudan. Khartoum Peace Agreement signed between the government and the South Sudan Independence Movement of Riek Machar.
1998 - Ethio-Eritrea War breaks out reducing conflict with Sudan. USA launches cruise missile attack on a pharmaceutical plant in Khartoum, alleging that it was making materials for chemical weapons.
1999 - President Bashir dissolves the National Assembly and declares a state of emergency following a power struggle with parliamentary speaker, Hasan al-Turabi.
1999 - Sudan begins to export oil.
��2000
2000 October - IGAD Lake Bogoria Talks.
2001 February - Islamist leader Hasan al-Turabi arrested a day after his party, the Popular National Congress, signed a memorandum of understanding with the southern rebel Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLM/A).
2001 July - Joint Libyan Egyptian Initiative establishes a Declaration of Principles calling for an all-party transitional government, but does not deal with the issue of self-determination for the south. Sudanese government accepts DoP without reservation and SPLM/A accepts with conditions.
2001 September - UN Security Council lifts largely symbolic sanctions against Sudan which involved a ban on diplomatic travel. They were imposed in 1996 over accusations that Sudan harboured suspects in an attempt on the life of Egyptian President Husni Mubarak, but US continues its sanctions.
2001 October - US President George W. Bush names Senator John Danforth as special envoy to try help end Sudanese conflict.
2001 November - US extends unilateral sanctions against Sudan for another year, citing its record on terrorism and rights violations.
��2002
2002 January - The government and the SPLM/A sign a landmark ceasefire agreement providing for a six-month renewable ceasefire in the Nuba Mountains region of south-central Sudan.
2002 July - After weeks of talks in Kenya, the government and the SPLM/A sign a protocol covering self-determination and state and religion and on ending the 19-year civil war. Under the agreement southern Sudan will be able to hold an independence referendum after a six-year power-sharing transition period.
2002 July - President Umar Hasan al-Bashir and SPLM/A leader John Garang meet face to face for the first time, through the mediation of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.
2002 September - Government breaks off talks, saying the SPLM/A seizure of the southern town of Torit had spoiled the atmosphere of talks, and that the SPLM/A had reopened the issue of the separation of state and religion by demanding that the capital of Sudan be shari'ah free.
2002 October - The government and the SPLM/A sign a memorandum of understanding, agreeing to resume talks, and to implement a cessation of hostilities for the duration of talks. Talks resume.
2002 November - Cessation of hostilities agreement extended until the end of March 2003. MOU signed on 'Aspects of Structures of Government'. Talks adjourned until January 2003.
��2003
2003 January - Talks resume in Nairobi suburb of Karen. Plans also made for a separate symposium to be held dealing with the issue of the disputed border territories of southern Blue Nile, Abyei, and the Nuba Mountains.
2003 January - UN negotiates separate bilateral agreements with the SPLM/A and the Sudanese government to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid into the disputed region of Southern Blue Nile for the first time.
2003 March - Cessation of hostilities agreement extended until end of June 2003.
2003 March - Semi-autonomous talks take place on the three disputed border regions of Abyei, Nuba Mountains, and Southern Blue Nile.
2003 April - SPLM/A and government agree to the opening of corridor along the Nile River to facilitate humanitarian access.
2003 May - Talks resume with the signing of partnership agreement in administrative arrangements for the transition period, which outlined specific measures necessary for building up the humanitarian, security and development needs of southern Sudan during the first six months of the transitional period.

[Ends]

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Introduction

Peace talks, humanitarian
action

The Road to Peace

Background Documents

Major Negotiating Issues

Other issues

Web Resources

  • General information on Sudan
  • Official government web site
  • Web site of the SPLM/A
  • UNDP Human Development Report 2002
  • US State Department web site
  • "The Outlook for Peace in Sudan" (26 April 2002) at US Department of State
  • "History of Senator John Danforth as Envoy for Peace in Sudan" (14 May 2002) at US Department of State
  • Major US reports on Sudan at US Department of State
  • US humanitarian and 'preparation for peace' reports
  • "Power and Wealth Sharing: Make or Break Time in Sudan�s Peace Process" (International Crisis Group: December 2002)
  • "Governments on the WordWideWeb: Sudan" and additional information

Maps

  • UN map of Sudan
    • �
  • Map of Nuba Mountains (ReliefWeb)
  • Sudan thematic maps (ReliefWeb)