Hussen resigned from the SYL when the regime seized control

Evidence

After a deadlock of two months Egal and associates were unable to push Hussen out of the SYL, and the latter was very satisfied with the defense the central committee gave him. He also recognized that the SYL under the new regime was doomed and thereafter unilaterally decided to resign from both the central committee and the party. This came as a shock to many old party stalwarts, as they considered Hussen to be a model member who embodied the party’s core principles. But Hussen saw no democratic future in the establishment and for a short while became an independent MP. Being the sole credible opposition member, Hussen had other MPs who were not happy with the leadership often coming to be seen with him, so the regime would try to win them back with cash or promises. For several months he enjoyed a relatively relaxed life in parliament and then decided to take up an invitation from the Sudanese government to visit there while en route to the Haji (Mecca) with his wife. Hussen was one of the few leaders who did not go on pilgrimage at the expense of the government. — Abdi Ismail Samatar, Africa’s First Democrats, 999