ABSTRACT
The coup was led by a 'Free Officers' movement within the army under the leadership of Colonel Jaafar Nimeiri, who had on two previous occasions, in 1957 and 1966, been suspected of plotting against the government. The immediate consequences of the coup were the consolidation of Nimeiri's position and a definite reorientation of the regime towards the right. The abortive coup seemed to have taken Nimeiri completely by surprise, and was a blow not only to the government but also in personal terms. Nimeiri responded to the continuing Anya Nya activity by recourse to a policy of suppression, which was, however, no more effective in 1969-1970 than it had been under previous regimes. In July 1971 Nimeiri appointed Abel Alier to replace Joseph Garang as minister of southern affairs. One of the most ambitious and potentially significant reforms of the Nimeiri regime was the reform of local and provincial administration.
