Page 44 - EVOLUTION OF THE SUDAN PEOPLE’S LIBERATION MOVEMENT(SPLM),

CHAPTER FOUR

THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE SUDAN PEOPLE’S LIBERATION
MOVEMENT

4.0 Introduction

Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) was launched and established in August 1983,
after power struggle with Anyanya (I) over the vision and mission of the liberation movement.

Whereas the Anyanya (II)was committed to fight for the independence of Southern Sudan, the
SPLM called for New Sudan that was miscellaneous, void of discrimination, secular, liberal
and democratic. In other words, it sought to establish a liberal democratic Sudan. This chapter
traces the evolution and development of SPLM till it took state power in 2005/2011, following

the transitional implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, CPA. This chapter is
significant in the study as it lays down the foundation under which the other chapters are built
on (SAD.887/9/18).

4.1 Historical Background

The present problem of the Southern Sudan state began with the Turkish Empire (1820-1885) that
ruled Sudan and Southern separately, for sixty years. The Mahdyia Islamic rule (1885-1898) also
couldn’t annex the territories of the present South Sudan until the British/Egyptians reconquest

of the Sudan in 1898. The British/Egyptians invaders set up, for the first time, an anti-slave trade
Condominium Government (1899-1956) which colonized one Sudan for fifty-seven years. It is to
be recalled that it was Major General Sir Herbert Kitchener, who commanded the invading forces

from Egypt in 1896 to 1898, and then became a Military Governor (1898-1899) and Governor
General of the whole Sudan during the period. General Kitchener also evicted the French forces,
under command of Captain J. B. Marchard (Southern Sudan, Lam Akol, 66-67), thus effecting
final withdrawal of French forces from Fashoda in 1898 (Wells and Dilla, 1993).

The Condominium colonial government then unified Southern Sudan as one territory and annexed
it to Khartoum 1899. But British Administered Southern Sudan as a protectorate from Sudan
Khartoum, under condominium government, from 1899 to 1946, just after the end of the Second
World War (1939-1945). As from 1946-1947, British/Egyptians’ policy towards Southern Sudan

changed, from being a protectorate to three provinces of Sudan. This change of policy was
determined in the administrative conference of 1946 and confirmed in Juba conference in 1947.
Southern Sudanese were excluded in the 1946 conference, which was attended by British and
Egyptians governments representatives, led by the Civil Secretary, Sir James Robertson and

Northern Sudanese politicians, notables and elites (Rolandien,2014, Well and Dillas ,1993).

Southern Sudanese or colonial officials in Southern Sudan, were not invited to attend the 1946

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