Mubarak al Fadil al Mahdi
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Mubarak El-Mahdi is an Economist and prominent Politician, Chairman of the Sudanese UMMA Party (Renewal and Reform). He was appointed to several important political and executive positions in the Democratic Government of Sudan during the period 1986-1989.
A staunch advocate of democracy, he played a key role in the political opposition to ruling military governments in Sudan – both during the Numeiri dictatorship and later during the military rule of the Islamist government. He was instrumental in founding the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and forming an alliance between Umma Party and Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) that led to the SPLM joining the Alliance. He was later elected Secretary General of the movement in 1995.
In recognition of the need to reach a peaceful settlement to the civil conflict in Sudan, he engineered and signed the Djibouti Agreement between the Islamist Ruling Sudanese military government and the Umma Party. In his drive to instill renewed thinking and political direction in the Umma Party, he split ranks and formed the Umma Party for Renewal and Reform.
The Party later participated in a coalition government with the ruling National Congress Party in which he served, for a short time, as Assistant to the President. In disagreement with government on policies and practices including the Darfur and Eastern Sudan conflicts, Mr. Mubarak El-Mahdi returned to the ranks of the opposition were he was vocal in pointing to the wrong doings of the regime and actively campaigned for return to democracy and a peaceful and just resolution to the country’s conflicts in the Darfur region and the East.
DOB. 03/2/1950
Status: Married with three sons and a daughter
Official Government Positions
April 1986: Elected as a Member of Parliament
May 86- May 88: Minister of Industry
June 88- Feb 89: Minister of Economy and Trade
Feb 89- June 89: Minister of Interior
2002-2004: Assistant President of Sudan
Important Political Roles
1986-1989: Umma Party and Government of Sudan representative for Foreign relations (includes relations with USA, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Japan, China, Ethiopia, Germany).
August 1987: Member of the Sudanese delegation which took part in negotiations with the IMF.
- Played an important role in the outcome of these meetings which led to a restoration of Sudan's economic relations and cooperation with the IMF and World Bank.
- Led the Sudanese delegation responsible for reaching a renewal agreement with the IMF and World Bank in Washington.
Jan 1986 - 1987: Lead negotiations with President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak to restore fractured Egypt- Sudan relations. This led to President Sadiq ElMahdi's visit to Cairo in 1987. 1988: Led Negotiations with American Company Chevron for Oil Exploration and Extraction in South and South West Sudan. Providing them with security in area.
Political and Party Positions/Initiatives
1977-1995: Member of the Political Chamber of the Umma Party
1986-1989: Member of the Executive Council of the Umma Party
1986-1996: Umma Party Secretary for Foreign Affairs.
July 1989: Left Sudan, following June 89' military coup de'tate, through Western Borders. Founded the Opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Jan 1990: Formed alliance between Umma Party and Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM). Led to SPLM joining NDA.
1989-96: Established Regional UMMA Party Offices / Branches (Washington, London, Cairo, Toronto, Chad, Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Kampala and several Arab Countries)
September 1990: Founded NDA Radio Station in Ethiopia.
Sept- 1991: Organised with Former US President Jimmy Carter, an International Conference on the political situation in Sudan., held in Atlanta, Georgia. - Participants included UN Secertary General, African Union Secertary General, Representatives of European Parliament and Representatives of the US Government.
1994: Engineered and signed the Chukudum Agreement with the SPLM. The agreement formed the foundation for the later Asmara Opposition Party Agreement and Sudan Peace Agreement.
June 1995: Elected Secretary General of NDA.
Nov 1995: Organised an International Conference on Peace and Democracy in Sudan with Christian Union, held at the United Kingdom House of Lords.
2000: Engineered and signed the Djibouti Agreement between the Ruling Sudanese military government and the Umma Party, (under Sadiq Elmahdi leadership). Returned to Sudan in April 2000 for the first time since the 1989 military coup.
2002: Disagreement on Umma Party's political direction with Sadiq Elmahdi.
Umma party split
July 2002: Elected president of Umma Party Movement for Renewal and Reform and President of the Party's Higher Executive Council.
- Umma Party (Reform and Renewal) participated in a coalition government with the ruling National Congress Party.
2002- 2004: Appointed Assistant President of Sudan.
2004- Disagreement with government on policies and practices including the Darfur and Eastern Sudan conflicts.
- Umma Party (Reform and Renewal) elected to dissolve their coalition with ruling National Congress Party, left government and returned to opposition.
June 2007- Declared Intention with Sadiq Elmahdi to Unify Umma party.
