National Congress Party (Sudan)
National Congress Party حزب المؤتمر الوطني | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | NCP |
| Leader | Omar al-Bashir |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Banned | 29 November 2019 (6 years, 105 days) |
| Preceded by | National Islamic Front |
| Headquarters | Khartoum |
| Armed wing | Popular Defence Forces |
| Ideology | Arab–Islamic nationalism Salafism Social conservatism Authoritarianism Militarism Right-wing populism Islamic economics Neoliberalism |
| Political position | Right-wing to far-right |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
| International affiliation | Muslim Brotherhood |
| Colours | Green |
| National Assembly (2015) | 323 / 426 |
The National Congress Party (NCP; Arabic: حزب المؤتمر الوطني, Ḥizb al-Mu'tamar al-Waṭanī) was a major political party of ousted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, it dominated domestic politics in Sudan from its foundation until it was banned following the Sudanese revolution.
After a military coup in 1969, Sudanese President Gaafar Nimeiry abolished all other political parties, effectively dissolving the Islamic parties. Following political transition in 1985, the leader of Islamic Charter Front (ICF), Hassan al-Turabi, reorganised the former party into the National Islamic Front (NIF), which pushed for an Islamist constitution. The NIF ultimately backed another military coup bringing to power Omar al-Bashir, who publicly endorsed the NIF's Islamist agenda. The party structure was composed at the national level of the General Conference, the Shura Council and the Leadership Council, and the Executive Office.
After the split of the NIF, the party was divided into two parties. The Islamic Movement led by its secretary Hassan al-Turabi and the military commanded by Omar al-Bashir launched a military coup against Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi and President Ahmed al-Mirghani in 1989. Omar al-Bashir, who also became Chairman of the National Congress Party (NCP) and President of Sudan, seized power and began institutionalising Sharia at a national level.
The NCP was established in 1998 by key political figures in the National Islamic Front as well as other politicians. The rule of the NCP was the longest in independent contemporary Sudanese history. It grew out of the Islamist student activism of the Muslim Brotherhood, passing through the same revolutionary salafi jihadism. The party followed the ideologies of Islamism, Pan-Arabism, and Arab nationalism.
The NCP was banned by the Transitional Sovereignty Council in the aftermath of the military takeover on 29 November 2019. All party properties were confiscated and all party members were barred from participating in elections or holding office for ten years.