Ezboni Mondiri
Encyclopedia
Ezboni Mondiri Gwanza was a politician in Southern Sudan. He was one of the founders of the Southern Sudan Federal Party
(SSFP) in 1957, which competed in the Sudanese parliamentary election in 1958
. Later he was active in secessionist movements.
, active in the Southern Student's Welfare Front. After graduating he became an official at the Shell Company.
became independent on 1 January 1956.
In 1957 Ezboni and other young intellectuals and university graduates from the south decided to found a party to advocate policies needed by the south. The founders called the party the Southern Federal Party, Federal Party and the Federalist Party.
The party constitution laid out principles that included calling for an equal federation of northern and southern states, with English and Arabic given equal recognition. The state would be secular, with Islam and Christianity recognized as the two major religions but respecting other religions. The south would have a separate civil service, educational system and army.
Father Saturnino Lohure Hilangi was another founder of the Southern Sudan Federal Party (SSFP), which beat the Liberals
and won forty seats in the parliamentary elections held in February and March of 1958. When the SSFP spoke up in parliament for the north to consider Sudanese federation, as promised, the government arrested Mondiri and the SSFP broke up.
In its place, Father Saturnino formed the Southern Block, with 25 members.
.
In December 1960 Ezboni was arrested and sentenced to ten years in prison.
In October 1964 General Ibrahim Abboud yielded to pressure and established a caretaker government of senior politicians to form the government until democratic elections could be held the next year. Sirr al-Katim al-Khalifa was appointed Prime Minister, with two southerners in his cabinet: Ezbon Mondiri Gwanza and Clement Mboro.
The Southern Front Party
, also called the Southern Professional Front, was apparently founded in Khartoum early in 1965 by a group of Southern civil servants, university students and professionals.
The Southern Front was officially registered as a party in March 1965 with Gordon Abei as President, Darious Beshir as Vice President
and Hilary Logali as Secretary General.
In March 1965 the front nominated nominated three senior members to take part in the caretaker cabinet: Element Mboro Bekobo for Interior, Hilary Paul Logali for works and Gordon Mourtat Mayen for communications, replacing Ezboni Mondiri.
A Round Table conference was held in March 1965 to try to resolve the southern problem. A few months later the new Southern Front Executive Committee was elected. Clement Mboro Bekobo was President, Gordon Mourtat Mayen Vice President and Hilary Paul Logali Secretary General. Ezboni Mondiri was a member.
In June 1965 Joseph Oduho
and his supporters defected from the Sudan African National Union
(SANU) and formed a new secessionist organization called the "Azania Liberation Front" (ALF).
The executive of the ALF included Joseph H. Oduho, President, Fr. Saturnino Lohure, Vice President, Ezboni Mondiri, Defense Secretary,
George Akumbek Kwanai, Foreign Secretary and Joseph Lagu Yanga, Commander-in-Chief.
Later Ezboni announced formation of the Sudan Azania government in exile.
On 27 February 1972 the government of Sudan and the Southern Sudan Liberation Movement (SSLM) signed the Addis Ababa agreement to end hostilities, to be formally ratified on 12 March 1972. Ezboni Mondiri Gwonza was the leader of the SSLM delegation.
Dr. Mansour Khalid, Minister of Foreign Affairs, signed on behalf of the Sudan government. The agreement ended a 17-year conflict in which half a million southerners had died and many more had been displaced.
The agreement gave southern Sudanese religious rights and autonomy within a federal structure for the unified Sudan.
Ezboni Mondiri and Joseph Oduho were the two leading "outsider" candidates for presidency of Southern Sudan in 1973, but Abel Alier
was named the SSU candidate before they could mount their challenges.
Southern Sudan Federal Party
The Southern Sudan Federal Party was a short-lived political party in Sudan, formed in 1957.It was successful in the 1958 parliamentary elections, but left parliament when it was clear that its federalist constitutional proposals would be rejected, and shortly afterwards broke up.Sudan gained...
(SSFP) in 1957, which competed in the Sudanese parliamentary election in 1958
Sudanese parliamentary election, 1958
Parliamentary elections were held in Sudan on 27 February and 8 March 1958.The first elections since independence in 1956, they were supposed to be held in August 1957, but were postponed by the ruling council, who claimed that flooding would affect the vote...
. Later he was active in secessionist movements.
Early years
Ezboni Mondiri Gwanza was a student at the Faculty of Arts of the University of KhartoumUniversity of Khartoum
The University of Khartoum ia a multi-campus, co-educational university located in Khartoum. It is the largest and oldest university in Sudan. UofK was founded as Gordon Memorial College in 1902 and established in 1956 when Sudan gained independence...
, active in the Southern Student's Welfare Front. After graduating he became an official at the Shell Company.
First democratic period
SudanSudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
became independent on 1 January 1956.
In 1957 Ezboni and other young intellectuals and university graduates from the south decided to found a party to advocate policies needed by the south. The founders called the party the Southern Federal Party, Federal Party and the Federalist Party.
The party constitution laid out principles that included calling for an equal federation of northern and southern states, with English and Arabic given equal recognition. The state would be secular, with Islam and Christianity recognized as the two major religions but respecting other religions. The south would have a separate civil service, educational system and army.
Father Saturnino Lohure Hilangi was another founder of the Southern Sudan Federal Party (SSFP), which beat the Liberals
Liberal Party (Sudan)
The Liberal Party, at first called the Southern Party and later the Southern Liberal Party, was formed in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan before the Sudan became independent in January 1956....
and won forty seats in the parliamentary elections held in February and March of 1958. When the SSFP spoke up in parliament for the north to consider Sudanese federation, as promised, the government arrested Mondiri and the SSFP broke up.
In its place, Father Saturnino formed the Southern Block, with 25 members.
Later career
The Sudanese parliament was dissolved in November 1958 after a military coup by General Ibrahim AbboudIbrahim Abboud
El Ferik Ibrahim Abboud was a Sudanese president, general, and political figure. A career soldier, Abboud served in World War II in Eritrea and Ethiopia. In 1949, Abboud became the deputy Commander in Chief of the Sudanese military. Upon independence, Abboud became the Commander in Chief of the...
.
In December 1960 Ezboni was arrested and sentenced to ten years in prison.
In October 1964 General Ibrahim Abboud yielded to pressure and established a caretaker government of senior politicians to form the government until democratic elections could be held the next year. Sirr al-Katim al-Khalifa was appointed Prime Minister, with two southerners in his cabinet: Ezbon Mondiri Gwanza and Clement Mboro.
The Southern Front Party
Southern Front (Southern Sudan)
The Southern Front was a Southern Sudanese political party, from the ranks of which came the first President of the High Executive Council of the Southern Sudan Autonomous Region, Abel Alier, the first head of the autonomous government of that then Sudanese region, in 1972....
, also called the Southern Professional Front, was apparently founded in Khartoum early in 1965 by a group of Southern civil servants, university students and professionals.
The Southern Front was officially registered as a party in March 1965 with Gordon Abei as President, Darious Beshir as Vice President
Vice president
A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
and Hilary Logali as Secretary General.
In March 1965 the front nominated nominated three senior members to take part in the caretaker cabinet: Element Mboro Bekobo for Interior, Hilary Paul Logali for works and Gordon Mourtat Mayen for communications, replacing Ezboni Mondiri.
A Round Table conference was held in March 1965 to try to resolve the southern problem. A few months later the new Southern Front Executive Committee was elected. Clement Mboro Bekobo was President, Gordon Mourtat Mayen Vice President and Hilary Paul Logali Secretary General. Ezboni Mondiri was a member.
In June 1965 Joseph Oduho
Joseph Oduho
Joseph Oduho Haworu was a leading politician from South Sudan who was active in the struggle for independence and a founding member of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement .-Early years 1929-1960:...
and his supporters defected from the Sudan African National Union
Sudan African National Union
The Sudan African National Union is a political party formed in 1963 by William Deng Nhial and other Sudanese exiles in Uganda. In the late 1960s the party contested elections in Sudan seeking autonomy for South Sudan within a federal structure. The exile branch of the party meanwhile supported...
(SANU) and formed a new secessionist organization called the "Azania Liberation Front" (ALF).
The executive of the ALF included Joseph H. Oduho, President, Fr. Saturnino Lohure, Vice President, Ezboni Mondiri, Defense Secretary,
George Akumbek Kwanai, Foreign Secretary and Joseph Lagu Yanga, Commander-in-Chief.
Later Ezboni announced formation of the Sudan Azania government in exile.
On 27 February 1972 the government of Sudan and the Southern Sudan Liberation Movement (SSLM) signed the Addis Ababa agreement to end hostilities, to be formally ratified on 12 March 1972. Ezboni Mondiri Gwonza was the leader of the SSLM delegation.
Dr. Mansour Khalid, Minister of Foreign Affairs, signed on behalf of the Sudan government. The agreement ended a 17-year conflict in which half a million southerners had died and many more had been displaced.
The agreement gave southern Sudanese religious rights and autonomy within a federal structure for the unified Sudan.
Ezboni Mondiri and Joseph Oduho were the two leading "outsider" candidates for presidency of Southern Sudan in 1973, but Abel Alier
Abel Alier
Abel Alier Kwai is a South Sudanese politician who is currently in his 70s . After Sudan gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1956, Southern Sudan was not left as an independent state. This led to a deadly war a year before the independence. A party in the war was Anyanya 1 Under Joseph...
was named the SSU candidate before they could mount their challenges.