Mahdi has continued to lead the Umma Party in opposition to Bashir since being ousted in the 30 June 1989 coup d'état led by Omar al-Bashir.
He spent a period in exile but eventually returned to Sudan in November 2000.
He ran unsuccessfully for the 2010 presidential elections, pledging not to hand Bashir to the International Criminal Court to face charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes, arguing that it would destabilise the country.

In 2014 the government alleged that Mahdi had collaborated with rebels, and consequently Mahdi fled to Egypt.
He eventually returned to Khartoum on 26 January 2017.
Mahdi has continued to lead the Umma Party in opposition to Bashir since being ousted in the 30 June 1989 coup d'état led by Omar al-Bashir. He spent a period in exile but eventually returned to Sudan in November 2000. He ran unsuccessfully for the 2010 presidential elections, pledging not to hand Bashir to the International Criminal Court to face charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes, arguing that it would destabilise the country.
In 2014 the government alleged that Mahdi had collaborated with rebels, and consequently Mahdi fled to Egypt. He eventually returned to Khartoum on 26 January 2017.
Sadiq al-Mahdi