List of heads of state of Sudan

This article lists the heads of state of Sudan since the country's independence in 1956.

President of the Republic of the Sudan رئيس جمهورية السودان
Presidential Standard
Incumbent Abdel Fattah al-Burhan since 25 October 2021
Residence	Republican Palace, Khartoum
Formation	17 November 1958
First holder	Five-member Sovereignty Council (collective presidency)
Salary	29,320 USD annually[1]
Website	www.presidency.gov.sd/eng/

Background

Since independence was proclaimed on 1 January 1956, six individuals (and three multi-member sovereignty councils) have served as head of state of Sudan. Sudan was governed as a condominium by Egypt and the United Kingdom, under the name Anglo-Egyptian Sudan.

In November 1958, General Ibrahim Abboud led a military coup d'état, assuming the role of head of state as Chairman of the Supreme Council. Assuming the title of president in 1964, he resigned later that year due to general discontent around the rule of the military regime.

Abboud was replaced by a senior civil servant, Sirr Al-Khatim Al-Khalifa, who served as acting president for 18 days before transferring executive authority to a Committee of Sovereignty.

Titles of heads of state

• 1956–1958: Sovereignty Council
• 1958–1964: President
• 1964          : President
• 1964–1965: Sovereignty Council
• 1965–1969: Chairman of the Sovereignty Council
• 1969–1971: Chairman of the National Revolutionary Command Council
• 1971–1985: President
• 1985–1986: Chairman of the Sudanese Military Council
• 1986–1989: President
• 1989–1993: Chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council for National Salvation
• 1993–2019: President
• 2019          : Chairman of the Transitional Military Council
• 2019–2021: Transitional Sovereignty Council
• 2021–present: President

Heads of state of Sudan (1956–present)

Lists of rulers of Sudan

(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)

Republic of the Sudan (1956–1969)
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Term of office			Political party
				Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		First Sovereignty Council [lower-alpha 1]	—	1 January 1956	17 November 1958 (deposed.)	2 years, 320 days	Multipartisan
2		Ibrahim Abboud (1900–1983)	—	17 November 1958	16 November 1964 (resigned.)	5 years, 365 days	Military
3		Sirr Al-Khatim Al-Khalifa (1919–2006) [lower-alpha 2]	—	16 November 1964	10 June 1965 (resigned.)	17 days	National Umma Party
4		Second Sovereignty Council [lower-alpha 3] [lower-alpha 4]	—	3 December 1964	10 June 1965 (dissolved.)	189 days	Multipartisan
5		Third Sovereignty Council [lower-alpha 5] [lower-alpha 6]	—	10 June 1965	25 May 1969 (dissolved.)	28 days	Multipartisan
6		Ismail al-Azhari (1900–1969) [lower-alpha 7]	—	10 June 1965	25 May 1969 (deposed.)	3 years, 321 days	Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Republic of the Sudan (1969–1985)
7		Gaafar Nimeiry (1930–2009) [lower-alpha 8]	1971[lower-alpha 9] 1977 1983	25 May 1969	6 April 1985 (deposed.)	15 years, 316 days	Military / Sudanese Socialist Union
8		Abdel Rahman Swar al-Dahab (1934–2018)	—	6 April 1985	10 October 1985[2]	187 days	Military
Republic of the Sudan (1985–present)
(8)		Abdel Rahman Swar al-Dahab (1934–2018)	—	10 October 1985[2]	6 May 1986[lower-alpha 10]	208 days	Military
9		Ahmed al-Mirghani (1941–2008)	—	6 May 1986	30 June 1989 (deposed.)	3 years, 55 days	Democratic Unionist Party
10		Omar al-Bashir (born 1944)	1996 2000 2010 2015	16 October 1993 (Acting: 30 June 1989 – 16 October 1993)	11 April 2019 (deposed.)	25 years, 177 days	Military / National Congress Party
11		Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (born 1960) [lower-alpha 11]	—	25 October 2021 (Acting: 11 April 2019 – 25 October 2021)	Incumbent	3 years, 8 days	Military / National Congress Party
12		Fourth Sovereignty Council [lower-alpha 12] [lower-alpha 13]	—	20 August 2019	25 October 2021 (dissolved.)	2 years, 66 days	Multipartisan

1. Members: Abdel Fattah Muhammad al-Maghrabi, Muhammad Ahmad Yasin, Ahmad Muhammad Salih, Muhammad Othman al-Dardiri and Siricio Iro Wani.
2. Co-leading with the Second Sudanese Council from 3 December 1964 — 10 June 1965.
3. Members: Abdel Halim Muhammad, Tijani al-Mahi, Mubarak Shaddad, Ibrahim Yusuf Sulayman and Luigi Adwok Bong Gicomeho.
4. Co-leading with Siri Al-Khatim Al-Khalifa.
5. Members: Ismail al-Azhari, Abdullah al-Fadil al-Mahdi, Luigi Adwok Bong Gicomeho, Abdel Halim Muhammad and Khidr Hamad.
6. Co-leading with Ismail al-Azhari.
7. Co-leading with the Third Sovereignty Council.
8. Briefly interrupted during the 19–22 July 1971 coup d'état.
9. Presidency referendum.
10. Handed over power to the civilian government after the 1986 parliamentary election.
11. Co-leading along with the Fourth Sovereignty Council from 20 August 2019 — 25 October 2021.
12. Members: Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, Malik Agar, Shams al-Din Khabbashi, Yasser al-Atta, Ibrahim Jabir Karim, Aisha Musa el-Said, Siddiq Tawer, Mohamed al-Faki, Hassan Sheikh Idris, Mohammed Hassan al-Ta'ishi and Raja Nicola.
13. Co-leading with Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

References

1. "The highest and lowest paid African presidents - Business Daily". Business Daily. 27 December 2020.
2. "UNDP-POGAR: Arab Countries". Archived from the original on 2011-07-27.

Other websites

• Official website of the President of Sudan
• World Statesmen – Sudan