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Former Sudanese Prime Minister Dies Weeks After Testing Positive for Coronavirus


FILE - Former Sudanese Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi in February 2020.
FILE - Former Sudanese Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi in February 2020.

Sudan's last democratically elected prime minister, Sadiq al-Mahdi, has died at the age of 84.

His National UMMA party issued a statement Thursday, revealing al-Madi died from a coronavirus infection three weeks after being hospitalized in the United Arab Emirates.

He reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus last month.

Mahdi was overthrown during the second of his two terms as prime minister following a 1989 military coup that paved the way for former president Omar al-Bashir to seize power.

He held power for three decades before he himself was ousted in a coup last year.

Throughout Sudan’s leadership changes, al-Mahdi remained an influential figure.

The Umma Party also said in its statement that Mahdi would be buried on Friday morning in the city of Omdurman in Sudan.

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