ocr: The military regime headed by General al-Bashir took over 111 a coup in 1989.It banned all political parties except the the National Islamic Front (NIF), - which emerged as the force behind the coup. Its leader, Dr. Hassan al-Turabi, does - not hold ministerial office, but is Sudan's most influential figure. A strict policy of Arabization and Islamicization, including "sharia" law, has been imposed, - but is ineffe ctive in the southern areas held by - . non-Muslim rebels. Dissent elsewhere has been violently crushed. Many opposition leaders are in exile.
