The Government They Deserve : The Role of the Elite in Sudan’s Political Evolution

This book (1990) examines how a small political elite in Sudan monopolized power for decades, causing catastrophic human and financial costs. Tracing Sudan’s political evolution through multi-party rule, military regimes, and revolutions, the author argues that ethnic, religious, and regional divisions hindered effective leadership.

Thirty-three years after independence, Sudan faced the gravest crises in its history, one which threatened the very existence of the nation. The first sub-Saharan country to attain independence from colonial rule, Sudan dreamed of becoming a central figure on the African political scene but instead descended into a state of political crisis which exacted an appalling toll in human and financial terms. In The Government They Deserve (originally published in 1990), Dr Khalid identifies a small but politically influential group in Sudan that determines policies and makes or breaks governments. It is the monopoly on power which this elite group has wielded for more than three decades that is largely responsible for the country’s problems of the time. In this timely and important study, Dr Khalid traces the evolution of modern Sudanese politics, examines Sudan’s first multi-party government and the period of military rule and analyzes the era of revolutions and its effect on domestic and foreign policy, drawing attention throughout to the role of the traditional elite in Sudan’s political life. Looking ahead to the future, Dr Khalid considers the problem of Sudanese national identity and the ethnic, religious, and regional differences that have long militated against effective leadership and calls for the formation of new political groups of a genuinely national character with a sense of democratic political responsibility. Dr Khalid concludes that the growing awareness among Sudan’s leaders of the need for change bodes well for the future of this troubled country.