Omer Hassan Ahmed el Beshir
President (since 1989)
Date of Birth: 01/01/1944
Place of Birth: Hoshe Bannaga
Married to Fatima Khalid and, second wife, Widad Babiker Omer. No children
Education: Graduated as an officer from the Sudan Military College, Khartoum, 1966.
Career: Joined the Sudanese Armed Forces, 1960; Military attaché, UAE, 1975-79; Garrison Commander, Khartoum, 1979-81; Commander of the armoured parachute brigade, Khartoum, 1981-87; Commander of the 8th Brigade, 1988; Minister of Defence, 1989-93; President of Sudan, 1993 to date.
Commentary: In 1989 led a military coup, overthrowing Prime Minister Sadiq al-Madhi in June 1989. He went on to pass the Criminal Act, introducing Sharia in all provinces except the South in 1991. He was indicted by the ICC on five counts of crimes against humanity and two counts of war crimes in March 2009.