List of heads of state of Sudan Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids President of the Republic of the Sudan
Presidential Standard
Emblem of Sudan
Incumbent Abdel Fattah al-Burhan Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council since 11 November 2021
Executive branch of the Sudanese Government Head of state of the Republic of the Sudan
Residence	Republican Palace, Khartoum
Formation	17 November 1958; 66 years ago (1958-11-17)
First holder	Five-member Sovereignty Council (collective presidency)
Salary	29,320 USD annually

This article tells you about the leaders of Sudan since it became an independent country in 1956. These leaders are called the "heads of state."

Sudan's Leaders: A Quick Look
Recent Changes in Leadership
How Long Can a President Serve?
Titles of Sudan's Leaders Over Time
List of Sudan's Heads of State (1956–Present)
Timeline of Leaders
More to Explore
See also

Sudan's Leaders: A Quick Look

Sudan became independent on January 1, 1956. Since then, many different people and groups have led the country. The main leader is now called the President of the Republic of the Sudan.

Before 1956, Sudan was ruled by both Egypt and the United Kingdom. This shared rule was like a partnership. When Sudan became independent, a group of five people, called the Sovereignty Council, took charge. This was because different groups couldn't agree on one single leader.

In November 1958, General Ibrahim Abboud took control in a military takeover. He became the head of state. He later became president in 1964 but resigned that same year. People were not happy with the military's rule. After him, a civil servant named Sirr Al-Khatim Al-Khalifa was acting president for a short time. Then, another group, the Committee of Sovereignty, took over.

Ismail al-Azhari became president in July 1965. He had limited power. In 1969, military officers took over again. They formed a new council led by Jaafar Nimeiry. Nimeiry became president in 1971. He created a system where only one political party was allowed.

In 1985, military officers removed Nimeiry from power. They formed the 1985 Transitional Military Council. Field Marshal Abdel Rahman Swar al-Dahab led this group. After that, Ahmed al-Mirghani became Chairman of the Supreme Council in 1986. He was removed in 1989 by Lieutenant-General Omar al-Bashir.

Al-Bashir led Sudan for almost 30 years. He was head of state from 1989 to 1993. Then he was president from 1993 to 2019.

Recent Changes in Leadership

In April 2019, Omar al-Bashir was removed from power by the Sudanese Armed Forces. This happened during the Sudanese revolution. Lieutenant-General Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf took control briefly. He then resigned, and Lieutenant-General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan took his place.

The military council was replaced by the Transitional Sovereignty Council in August 2019. This council had 11 members, both civilians and military leaders. It was meant to guide Sudan towards democracy. This period was planned to end with new elections.

However, in October 2021, al-Burhan dissolved the Transitional Sovereignty Council. He then brought it back in November 2021, with some new members.

How Long Can a President Serve?

As of 2021, Sudan's rules say a president can only serve two terms. No president has reached this limit yet.

Titles of Sudan's Leaders Over Time

The title for Sudan's head of state has changed many times:

1956–1958: Sovereignty Council (a group of leaders)
1958–1964: Chairman of the Supreme Council
1964 : President
1964–1965: Committees of Sovereignty (another group of leaders)
1965–1969: Chairman of the Sovereignty Council
1969–1971: Chairman of the National Revolutionary Command Council
1971–1985: President
1985 : Commander-in-Chief
1985–1986: Chairman of the Transitional Military Council
1986–1989: Chairman of the Supreme Council
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 : Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
2021–present: Transitional Sovereignty Council

List of Sudan's Heads of State (1956–Present)

(Dates in italic mean the person or group was still in charge, even if the official title changed slightly.)

No.	Picture	Name (Born–Died)	Elected	Time in Office			Political Group
No.	Picture	Name (Born–Died)	Elected	Started	Ended	How Long	Political Group
Republic of Sudan (1956–1969)
1		Sovereignty Council	—	1 January 1956	17 November 1958 (Removed from power)	2 years, 320 days	Many parties
2		Ibrahim Abboud (1900–1983)	—	17 November 1958	16 November 1964 (Resigned)	5 years, 365 days	Military
—		Sirr Al-Khatim Al-Khalifa (1919–2006) Acting President	—	16 November 1964	3 December 1964	17 days	National Umma Party
3		First Committee of Sovereignty	—	3 December 1964	10 June 1965	189 days	Many parties
4		Second Committee of Sovereignty	—	10 June 1965	8 July 1965	28 days	Many parties
5		Ismail al-Azhari (1900–1969)	—	8 July 1965	25 May 1969 (Removed from power)	3 years, 321 days	Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Republic of Sudan (1969–1985)
6		Gaafar Nimeiry (1928–2009)	1971 1977 1983	25 May 1969	6 April 1985 (Removed from power)	15 years, 316 days	Military / Sudanese Socialist Union
Republic of Sudan (1985–2019)
7		Abdel Rahman Swar al-Dahab (1934–2018)	—	6 April 1985	6 May 1986	1 year, 30 days	Military
8		Ahmed al-Mirghani (1941–2008)	—	6 May 1986	30 June 1989 (Removed from power)	3 years, 55 days	Democratic Unionist Party
9		Omar al-Bashir (born 1944)	1996 2000 2010 2015	30 June 1989	11 April 2019 (Removed from power)	29 years, 285 days	Military / National Congress Party
Transitional Period (2019–Present)
10		Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf (born c. 1956)	—	11 April 2019	12 April 2019 (Resigned)	1 day	Military / National Congress Party
11		Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (born 1960)	—	12 April 2019	21 August 2019	6 years, 112 days	Military
			TSC Chairman	21 August 2019	25 October 2021		Military / FFC / TMC
			—	25 October 2021	11 November 2021		Military
			TSC Chairman	11 November 2021	Incumbent		Military