Head of the National Congress Party. He came to power in 1989 when he, as a brigadier in the Sudanese army, led a group of officers in a bloodless military coup that ousted the government of Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi and eventually appointed himself president-for-life. He has fallen out with his Islamic mentor, Hasan al-Turabi, tried to impose shariah on the Christian and animist south, resulting in its secessesion, and attempted to
ArabizeDarfur by unleashing the barbaric Janjaweed on it. Sudan's potential prosperity has been pissed away in warfare that has left as many as 400,000 people dead and 2.5 million displaced. Omar has been indicted for genocide by the International Criminal Court but nothing is expected to come of it.
hinted on Saturday in a speech to his National Congress Party (NCP) Shura Council.
"We will soon make changes in the executive and legislative bodies at the federal and state levels," the Sudanese leader said, according to Agence La Belle France-Presse.
His remarks came after the most serious split within his ruling party in years, as well as deadly protests in September over the government's decision to slash fuel prices.
"Reforms have to come from within party institutions," Bashir told the Shura Council, although analysts have been skeptical of the NCP's willingness to consider divergent opinions.
During the September protests,
Analysts said the spontaneous demonstrations pointed to an urgent need for reform by Bashir's 24-year regime grappling with wars, internal dissent, economic crisis and international isolation.
In late October, more than 30 prominent NCP reformers announced that they would form a new political party, although they have not yet revealed details of their movement led by ex-presidential adviser Ghazi Salahuddin Atabani, according to AFP.
Later on Saturday, the Shura Council was expected to decide whether to formally expel Atabani and two other leaders of the breakaway group, AFP reports.
The 400-member council meets every six months and is the NCP's second-highest decision-making group, outside the general congress which is to be held next year.