Page 48 - EVOLUTION OF THE SUDAN PEOPLE’S LIBERATION MOVEMENT(SPLM),

Nile and James Loro in Equatoria, prepared for military confrontation with Arabs invading
army. The campaign for liberation of South Sudan had politically and militarily commenced. In
coordinated efforts, the South Sudanese leaders in Khartoum then were in touched with Northern

elites and political parties, such as Umma Party, National Unionist Party, the Islamic Charter
Front and the Sudan Communist Party, who were out to get rid of the military dictatorship.
The SANU political campaign, externally in East Africa and internally in Southern Sudan and
Khartoum along with Anyanya strong military action inside Southern Sudan completely posed

paralysis to the military government in Khartoum (SAD.887/9/198)

Thus on 21 October 1964, the military monster was overthrown by civil uprising. This move was
the first unified political action by Northern and Southern Sudanese. They called the change, “21st
October Revolution.” The militarist dictatorship was replaced; military statutory decrees and

orders were cancelled. And the British/Egyptians’ made transitional constitution was restored to
make for a new civilian government. The 1964 events are researched and analyzed by historians
such as Deng and others.

In November 1964 a new government headed Sir Al Khatim Al Khalifa Al Hassan, a senior

government official who had been running a directorate of education for three Southern provinces
(Bahr Al Ghazal, Upper Nile and Equatoria) from Juba, as the provisional prime minister, charged
to bring peace in Southern Sudan and run general elections, “not later than May 1965.” According

to parties and civil societies’ charter, the Government could be driven from the political parties,
civil societies and three ministerial portfolios to represent Southern Sudan. For representatives
of Southern Sudan in the provisional government, the leaders of Southern Sudan in Khartoum,
who had then organized themselves in one political party, “Southern Front.” Southern Front
recommended Clement Mboro, Isboni Mundiri and Gordon Muortat Mayen. Also for the Supreme

Council of State (collective Head of State, in accordance with the provisional constitution), the
Front recommended a veteran teacher, Luigi Adwok as a member (Johnson, 2014).

All the five members were equal and one of them could head the council and automatically
acted for a head of the State. Provisional constitution stipulated a rotating presidency, in turn

among the five members. The Supreme Council of State in consultation with the prime minister
agreed on the new policy towards Southern Sudan in relation to the central government. In
delivering the national policy towards Southern Sudan to people of the Sudan and the world,

on 10 November 1964, the Transitional Prime Minister Sir Al Khatim Al Khalifa stated that
the Government had decided: (a) to recognize the problem of Southern Sudan as a political
dispute that needed a political solution; (b) to issue general amnesty to all Southerners and
Sudanese who took up arms against the Sudan government; (c) to release all political prisoners,
convicts and awaiting trials; (d) to transfer all Southern Sudanese government officials, police

and prison warders to Southern Sudan; (e) to allow political parties and civil societies, freedom
of expression and association; and (f) to invite all the refugees and rebels to come back home.
And the Prime Minister recommended a Round Table conference to convene from 16-25 March

1965. And, in fact, the Round Table Conference on the Problem of Southern Sudan convened in
Khartoum, on 16-25 March 1965, after the Government obtained an agreement with Southern
Front, Sudan African National Union, SANU, led by Aggrey Jaden (externally operating from
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