Abdallah Khalil

Abdallah Khalil
عبد الله خليل
2nd Prime Minister of Sudan
In office
5 July 1956  17 November 1958
Preceded by Ismail al-Azhari
Succeeded by Ibrahim Abboud
Personal details
Born 1888
Omdurman, Mahdist Sudan
Died 1970 (aged 78)
Political party National Umma Party
Religion Islam
Military service
Allegiance  Egypt
Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
Service/branch Egyptian Army (1910-1924)
Sudan Defence Force (1925-1944)
Years of service 1910-1944
Rank Brigadier

Sayed Abdallah Khalil (Arabic: عبد الله خليل; 1892 - 1970) was a prominent Sudanese politician who served as the second Prime Minister of Sudan.

Early Life

Khalil was born in Omdurman and was of Kenzi Nubian origin.[1]

Military Service

Khalil served in the Egyptian Army from 1910 to 1924, and the Sudan Defence Force from 1925 until 1944. He was the first Sudanese to reach the rank of Brigadier (Miralai).[1]

Political Career

In 1944 Khalil became an influential member of the Advisory Council for the Northern Sudan, which became a pro-Mahdist organisation. In 1945 Khalil helped found the Umma Party, and became the partys first Secretary General. In 1947 he became a member of the Independence Front, serving as a representative of Umma Party interests, opposing the dominant Khatmiyya interests.[1]

Khalil maintained a close relationship with Colonial Administrators Robert George Howe and J.W. Robertson, often serving as an advocate for their views on Sudanese politics. Khalil's constant struggle with the Khatmiyya is often criticized, with it being alleged that he helped to make the emerging Sudanese nationalism divisive and sectarian. Khalil was for instance appointed Minister of Agriculture in 1947, largely due to his insistence that this was necessary to counterbalance the strong role of the Khatmiyya and to respond to the Sudanization press.[1]

In 1948 Khalil became leader of the newly formed Legislative Assembly and Executive Council, serving the Umma Party's representative on the Constitutional Commission. Khalil was elected to parliament in the 1953 parliamentary election.[1]

Following the 1958 election Khalil formed a coalition government comprising his Umma Party and the People's Democratic Party.[1][2] Khalil served as Prime Minister and Minister of Defense in the new government. He allied Sudan with the United States, sparking a tense standoff with Egypt under Gamal Abdel Nasser. On November 17, 1958, Khalil carried out a military coup against his own government, putting the government under the control of a military junta. (See History of Sudan (Independent Sudan))

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Voll, John Obert; Fluehr-Lobban, Carolyn; Lobban, Richard (1992). Historical dictionary of the Sudan. Scarecrow Press. p. 245. ISBN 9780810825475.
  2. Sudan Embassy in Canada

External links

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