Some time after the army took power in 1958, William Deng fled into exile, as did other southern politicians including Fr.
Saturnino Ohure,
Joseph Oduho and
Alexis Bakumba. The exiles moved back to
Kampala in Uganda in 1963, with the movement renamed the
Sudan African National Union (SANU). The new name was designed to show solidarity with other African nationalist movements of the period. In Kampala the SANU became the voice of the 60,000 refugees who had fled to camps in the
Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, but was unable to establish a political presence in Sudan. The SANU leaders did manage to organize the military Wing of the SANU, the
Anyanya, which began operating in southern Sudan in 1963, conducting guerilla raids and military operations. William Deng was responsible for the Bahr al-Ghazal insurgents, that launched heavy military attacked on Sudan's military garrison at
Wau in January 1964. That Anyanya was commanded by Col.
Bernadino Mou Mou. In that operation, over twelve SAF soldiers were killed, and many automatic weapons were captured. Those military activities posed a serious security threat and putting its weight behind the civilian demonstrations which were steadily challenging and eroding the already crumbling military government. In response to mounting pressure, the military ruler, Major General
Ibrahim Abboud, announced his resignation and opened way to civilian rule, beginning from 21 October 1964. The new civilian provisional government, led by Prime Minister
Sirr Al-Khatim Al-Khalifa, backed all political parties, north and south, declared freedom of speech and association allowing political parties to operate. The government called for peaceful solution to the "problem of Southern Sudan." == Return to Sudan==