ABSTRACT
In 1991, the regime of the National Islamic Front (NIF) marked its second year in power under the leadership of ‘Umar Hasan Ahmad al-Bashir. The NIF leadership’s hope to reverse the trend in Sudanese politics and break the dominance of the traditional politico-religious parties, failed dismally and these parties remained active in opposition, assuming a low profile under the tough security. Even relations with Libya, the main lifeline of the Bashir regime, were tainted with suspicion, since Qadhdhafi feared that the Sudanese fundamentalists’ influence would penetrate into Libya. Perhaps the most powerful driving force motivating the NIF regime was the desire to turn Sudan into a fully Islamic state. Sudan’s support for Iraq in the Gulf crisis became more fervent and vigorous after the outbreak of the war in mid-January. Once Sudan declared its firm support for Iraq in the Gulf crisis, its relations with Kuwait were doomed.
