Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
92KHARTOUM5035
1992-07-02 12:25:00
SECRET
Embassy Khartoum
Cable title:  

BIO UPDATE: IBRAHIM SANUSSI

Tags:  PINR PGOV KISL SU US 
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R 021225Z JUL 92
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7341
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 05035 

E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PINR PGOV KISL SU US
SUBJECT: BIO UPDATE: IBRAHIM SANUSSI

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 05035

E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PINR PGOV KISL SU US
SUBJECT: BIO UPDATE: IBRAHIM SANUSSI


1. SECRET/NOFORN - ENTIRE TEXT.


2. FOLLOWING IS BASIC BIO DATA ON IBRAHIM SANUSSI:

---BORN 1937 AL UBAYD, KORDOFAN.

---1962 - BAKT AL RUDA TEACHER TRAINING INSTITUTE,
DIPLOMA.

---1970 - CAIRO UNIVERSITY, B. LAW.
WAS A LEADING FIGURE IN THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD
MOVEMENT WITHIN THE CAIRO UNIVERSITY. RESPONSIBLE
FOR ESTABLISHING THE BRANCH OF THE MUSLIM BROTHERS AT
THE UNIVERSITY. WON CREDIT FOR NOT BEING OVERRUN BY
THE NASIRITES AND THE COMMUNISTS AT THE UNIVERSITY.

---1968 - EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF AL MERIEKH SPORTS
CLUB IN OMDURMAN. DID NOT PLAY A BIG ROLE BUT WAS A
COLLEAGUE AND FRIEND OF FOUAD AL TOM WHO PUT HIS NAME
IN THE LIST.

---ARRESTED MARCH 1970 WITH THE REST OF THE LEADING
MUSLIM BROTHERS. RELEASED FROM PRISON TOWARDS THE
END OF 1971 DURING THE AMNESTY GRANTED BY NIMEIRI
AFTER HE WAS ELECTED AS PRESIDENT.

---1973 - LEADER OF THE UNSUCCESSFUL SHE'BAN
UPRISING. FLED TO LIBYA.

---1973-1976 - JOINED THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE
SUDANESE NATIONAL FRONT AND SPENT HIS TIME TRAVELLING
BETWEEN LIBYA, BRITAIN, AND SUDAN PREPARING FOR THE
SO CALLED LIBYAN INVASION.

---IN 1976 CAME TO SUDAN LEADING A DIVISION OF
FIGHTERS AND WAS IN CHARGE OF EASTERN OMDURMAN AREA
INCLUDING THE RADIO STATION.

---FLED THE COUNTRY AFTER HIDING FOR SIX MONTHS.
SENTENCED TO DEATH IN ABSENTIA.

---RETURNED TO THE COUNTRY AFTER THE RECONCILIATION
IN 1977 AND WORKED IN PRIVATE BUSINESS. MANAGED TO
START A TRAVEL AND TOURISM AGENCY IN KHARTOUM.
DURING THIS PERIOD HE WAS AN ORGANIZER IN THE
LEADERSHIP OF THE NIF.

---ARRESTED BY NIMEIRI IN MARCH 1985. RELEASED BY
THE INTIFADA, APRIL 1985.

---ELECTED FOR THE ASSEMBLY AS NIF (KORDOFAN
GRADUATES CONSTITUENCY).

---ARRESTED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF OMAR AL BASHIR ON
JUNE 30, 1989 WHEN BASHIR OVERTHREW PRIME MINISTER
SADIQ AL MAHDI. RELEASED NOVEMBER, 1989.


3. AL SANUSSI IS A CLOSE ASSOCIATE AND FRIEND OF
HASSAN AL TURABI AND IS CONSIDERED THE NUMBER THREE
IN THE NIF BY MOST OBSERVERS. HIS PERSONAL CLOSENESS
TO TURABI IS EVIDENT. HE WAS ONE OF THOSE WHOM
TURABI ASKED TO MEET HIM IMMEDIATELY UPON HIS ARRIVAL
FROM AN OTTAWA HOSPITAL WHERE HE HAD BEEN UNDER CARE
AFTER BEEN ATTACKED THERE. SANUSSI ACTS AS TURABI'S
"MIDDLEMAN" IN ARRANGING MEETINGS, PASSING MESSAGES
AND SEEING THAT INSTRUCTIONS ARE CARRIED OUT. IN
PUBLIC WHERE TURABI IS, SANUSSI IS USUALLY NEARBY.
WITH THE ILLNESS OF TURABI, HE IS EVEN CLOSER
PHYSICALLY THAN EVER BEFORE.


4. IN CONVERSATIONS SANUSSI IS SOFT SPOKEN AND
ADHERES CLOSELY TO NIF DOCTRINE. HIS SUPPORTERS,
THERE ARE A FEW, SAY IT IS BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN IN ON
THE FORMULATION OF NIF POLICY. HIS DETRACTORS, THERE
ARE MORE, SAY HIS ADHERENCE TO NIF POLICY IS LEARNED
BY ROTE AND DEMONSTRATES THE SHALLOWNESS OF HIS
MIND. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT HE FEELS MORE COMFORTABLE
DISCUSSING THE KORAN THAN DAY-TO-DAY POLITICS.


5. SURPRISINGLY, NONE BELIEVE THAT HE IS THE HEIR TO
OR A SERIOUS CANDIDATE FOR HASSAN AL TURABI'S
POSITION IF TURABI LEAVES THE SCENE. SANUSSI IS
CONSIDERED THE TRUSTED AIDE AND THE IMPLEMENTER OF
INSTRUCTIONS. THE LONG YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE,
YEARS IN EXILE AND HIDING, AND TIME SPENT IN PRISON
CANNOT OUTWEIGH IN THE MIND OF SENIOR NIF MEMBERS THE
FACT THAT HE IS NOT CONSIDERED AN INTELLECTUAL. HE
IS DERISIVELY KNOWN AS THE "SCHOOL TEACHER." SANUSSI
IS NOT KNOWN FOR HIS ABILITY IN PUBLIC SPEAKING BUT
HE IS NOTED FOR HIS ATTENTION TO DETAIL. WITHIN THE
NIF HE IS NOT A MAN WHOM OTHERS RESPECT FOR HIS
INTELLECTUAL ABILITY, IMAGINIATION, OR PUBLIC SPEAKING.


6. COMMENT: CONVERSATIONS WITH IBRAHIM SANUSSI ARE
NOT AS INTELLECTUALLY SHALLOW AS HIS OPPONENTS
INDICATE. THE "FACT" THAT HE IS NOT PURE SUDANESE
MIGHT BE A FACTOR, THOUGH SADIQ AL MAHDI, THE FORMER
PRIME MINISTER AND HIS POLITICAL OPPONENT, SPEAKS
APPROVINGLY OF HIS PHYSICAL COURAGE AND HONESTY BUT
ALSO NOTES HE IS NOT A LEADER FOR THE FUTURE.


7. COMMENT CONTINUED: IN A REGENCY, IF TURABI
CANNOT FUNCTION POLITICALLY AS A RESULT OF HIS
INJURIES, SANUSSI COULD BE A CANDIDATE FOR AN
INTERREGNUM. HISTORY IS REPLETE WITH SUCH MEN, I.E.
JOHN PAUL XXIII. SANUSSI MAY NOT BE A SUPERIOR
INTELLECT BUT HE IS A DEVOUT MUSLIM, PHYSICALLY
COURAGEOUS, WHO HAS PROVEN THAT HE IS COMMITTED TO
THE NATIONAL ISLAMIC FRONT: DEFINITELY NO RODNEY
DANGERFIELD. IBRAHIM SANUSSI IS CAPABLE OF GAINING
RESPECT.


CHEEK