The Issue of the Islamic Constitution in Sudan (1956–1969): A Historical and Analytical Study

Abstract

This study aims to trace the constitutional development in Sudan from the early years of the national movement up to the end of the Second Democracy, with a particular focus on the debate over the Islamic constitution as one of the most influential issues in shaping the trajectory of the modern Sudanese state. The significance of the study lies in its examination of the roots of the tense relationship between religion and politics in Sudan, and in demonstrating how disagreements over the state's religious identity contributed to obstructing permanent constitutional projects and reproducing political crises. The study addresses the central question: Why did Sudan fail, during the periods 1956–1958 and 1964–1969, to reach a consensual constitution due to disputes over the identity of the state? It employs a historical–analytical methodology that links political events, constitutional debates, and the intellectual orientations within political parties and religious groups. The findings indicate that attempts to impose an Islamic constitution in Sudan emerged early with the pressures of the Islamic Constitution Front in 1957, and reappeared forcefully after the October Revolution of 1964 under the leadership of the Islamic Charter Front. The study also shows that the major parties—the Umma Party and the National Unionist Party—used the rhetoric of an “Islamic Republic” for political purposes without a clear ideological commitment, while southern leaders viewed this orientation as a mechanism for legitimizing religious discrimination. The study concludes that the conflict over the Islamization and secularization of the constitution was a fundamental factor in deepening party divisions, obstructing the 1957 and 1968 permanent constitution drafts, and weakening the legitimacy of the parliamentary system, which in turn paved the way for the military coups of 1958 and May 1969.