Anonymous asked this question on 4/25/2000:

Hello, Is there anyone there who can answer some questions for me? My parents have given alot of money, (many thousands of dollars) to a man they know as Sheik Anwar McKeen.

Thi is what he has told them... He was the former Sheik of Nuba (now Sudan?) He was here in the U.S. where he has been under Political Asylum since 1992. Now he has returned to Sudan to win a democratic election that is set for this summer. He is the leader of a political party called Zinjrab.

Are any of these statements factual? Did the Sudanese government authorize a democratic election for this summer? Is there a party called Zinjrab? Is/Was Sheik Anwar McKeen their leader?

Any help or information you can provide will be greatly appreciated! If these are not issues you are familiar with, could you forward this to someone who may know?

Thank You, Cynthia McBride Fax 918-343-9214 Phone 918-343-9200 E-mail cmcbride@advantage-mfg.com

eyeseeu gave this response on 4/25/2000:

Your parents may be getting swindled. The Nuba mountains are in Sudan, but the country was called Nubia. It has been Sudan for a long time though and Nuba and Nubia refer to old relics dating thousands of years. Nubia entailed Sudan, parts of Egypt and parts of Libya. I got the following information from the Dept. of State web site. There is no reference at any site I have found to any Sheik, let alon this gentleman:

http://www.info.usaid.gov/HORN/sudan/sudan/state/bg_note.txt

In 1976, the Ansars mounted a bloody but unsuccessful coup attempt. In July 1977, President Nimeiri met with Ansar leader Sadiq al-Mahdi, opening the way for reconciliation. Hundreds of political prisoners were released, and in August a general amnesty was announced for all opponents of Nimeiri's government. In September 1983, as part of an Islamicization campaign, President Nimeiri announced his decision to incorporate traditional Islamic punishments drawn from the Shari'a (Islamic law) into the penal code. This was controversial even among Muslim groups. After questioning Nimeiri's credentials to Islamicize Sudanese society, Ansar leader Sadiq al-Mahdi was placed under house arrest. On April 26, 1984, President Nimeiri declared a state of emergency, in part to ensure that Shari'a was applied more broadly. Most constitutionally guaranteed rights were suspended. In the North, emergency courts later known as "decisive justice courts," were established, with summary jurisdiction over criminal cases. Amputations for theft and public lashings for alcohol possession were common during the state of emergency. Southerners and other non-Muslims living in the north were also subjected to thesepunishments. In September 1984, President Nimeiri announced the end of the state of emergency and dismantled the emergency courts but soon promulgated a new judiciary act which continued many of the practices of the emergency courts. Despite Nimeiri's public assurances that the rights of non-Muslims would be respected, southerners and other non-Muslims remained deeply suspicious. Early 1985 saw serious shortages of fuel and bread in Khartoum, a growing insurgency in the south, drought and famine, and an increasingly difficult refugee burden. In early April, during Nimeiri's absence from the country, massive demonstrations, first triggered by price increases on bread and other staples, broke out in Khartoum. On April 6, 1985, senior military officers led by Gen. Suwar el Dahab mounted a coup. Among the first acts of the new government was to suspend the 1983 constitution and disband Nimeiri's Sudan Socialist Union. A 15-member transitional military council was named, chaired by Gen. Suwar el Dahab. In consultation with an informal conference of political parties, unions, and professional organizations known as the "Gathering," the council appointed an interim civilian cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Dr. El GizouliDefalla. Elections were held in April 1986, and the transitional military council turned over power to a civilian government as promised. The government, headed by Prime Minister Sadiq al Mahdi of the Umma Party, consisted of a coalition of the Umma, DUP, and several southern parties. This coalition dissolved and reformed several times over the next few years, with Sadiq al Mahdi and his Umma party always in a central role. During this period, the economy continued to deteriorate. When prices of basic goods were increased in 1988, riots ensued, and the price increases were cancelled. The civil war in the south was particularly divisive (see "Civil Strife" below). When Sadiq refused to approve a peace plan reached by the DUP and the Sudanese Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) in November 1988, the DUP left the government. The new government consisted essentially of the Umma and the Islamic fundamentalist National Islamic Front (NIF). In February 1989, the army presented Sadiq with an ultimatum: he could move toward peace or be thrown out. He formed a new government with the DUP and approved the SPLA/DUP agreement. On June 30, 1989, however, military officers under then-Colonel Omar al Bashir replaced the government with the Revolutionary Command Council for National Salvation (RCC), a junta comprised of 15 military officers assisted by a civilian cabinet. General al Bashir is president and chief of state, prime minister and chief of the armedforces.

Here is another web site to look for info:

http://www.politicalresources.net/sudan.htm

http://dmoz.org/Regional/Africa/Sudan/Society_and_Culture/Politics/

I hope these help!

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