Editing Sadiq al-Mahdi (section)

===1989 coup and afterwards===
[[File:SadiqAlMahdi Hermannsburg RomanDeckert12062015.jpg|thumb|Mahdi in 2015]]
Sadiq continued to lead the [[National Umma Party|Umma Party]] in opposition to Bashir after being ousted.<ref name="Lydia">{{Cite news |last1=Polgreen |first1=Lydia |last2=Gettleman |first2=Jeffrey |date=28 July 2008 |title=Sudan Rallies Behind Leader Reviled Abroad |language=en |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/28/world/africa/28sudan.html |url-status=live |access-date=25 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231125194353/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/28/world/africa/28sudan.html |archive-date=25 November 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name=PP>''Political Parties of the World''. 6th edition, 2005, Bogdan Szajkowski (ed.), John Harper, {{ISBN|0955114403}}, p. 113.</ref> He spent a period in exile, but eventually returned to Sudan in November 2000.<ref name=PP/>  As a former head of government, he joined the [[Club of Madrid]].<ref name="madridbio" />

He ran unsuccessfully for the [[2010 Sudanese general election|2010 presidential elections]], pledging not to hand Bashir to the [[International Criminal Court]] to face charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes on the grounds that it would destabilize the country.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mazen |first=Maram |date=1 February 2010 |title=Sudanese Candidate Al-Mahdi Wouldn't Hand Over Bashir to ICC |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a53jPUoTFVN0 |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141127165635/https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a53jPUoTFVN0 |archive-date=27 November 2014 |access-date=15 December 2012 |website=Bloomberg |language=en}}</ref> In 2014, the government alleged that Sadiq had collaborated with rebels, forcing him to flee to Egypt. He eventually returned to Khartoum on 26 January 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Aboulenein |first=Ahmed |date=26 January 2017 |title=Sudanese opposition leader Sadiq al-Mahdi returns from two-year exile |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-sudan-politics-idUKKBN15A1US/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231126003258/https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-sudan-politics-idUKKBN15A1US/ |archive-date=26 November 2023 |access-date=27 January 2017 |website=Reuters |language=en}}</ref>

In April 2019, Bashir was himself [[2019 Sudanese coup d'état|ousted by a coup]] after [[Sudanese Revolution|months of mass protests]].<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-47891470 "Omar al-Bashir: Sudan military coup topples ruler after protests"], BBC, 11 April 2019.</ref>  Sadiq affirmed his party's support for the protests and confirmed that they would not be part of any [[Sovereignty Council of Sudan|future civilian transitional government]].  He also opined that Sudan should join the [[International Criminal Court]] and hand over Bashir to face charges.<ref>{{Cite web|date=27 April 2019|title=Opposition leader denies Bashir ouster was 'military coup', calls for Sudan to join ICC|url=https://www.france24.com/en/20190427-sudan-sadiq-mahdi-bashir-military-coup-opposition-icc-umma|access-date=28 November 2020|website=France 24|language=en}}</ref> In May 2019, Sadiq announced his retirement from electoral politics.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sudan's Last Democratically-Elected Leader Retiring From Politics|url=https://www.voanews.com/africa/sudans-last-democratically-elected-leader-retiring-politics|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190718150618/https://www.voanews.com/africa/sudans-last-democratically-elected-leader-retiring-politics|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 July 2019|access-date=28 November 2020|website=Voice of America|language=en}}</ref>

On October 24, 2020, as Sudan began to [[Israel–Sudan normalization agreement|normalize diplomatic relations with Israel]], Mahdi strongly condemned the move, while accusing U.S. president [[Donald Trump]] (a chief facilitator of the deal) of being racist against Muslims and black people, and calling Israel an "apartheid state."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Magdy |first=Samy |date=2020-10-24 |title=Head of Sudan's largest party slams Trump and Israel deal |url=https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-donald-trump-israel-sudan-middle-east-83af13e8f2d90d479b664ddba82c8927 |access-date=2023-07-30 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref>