Former Sudanese PM Sadiq Al-Mahdi Dies Of Corona Virus

Sadiq al-Mahdi (Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah / Antara, Reuters)

JAKARTA - The prominent politician and former Prime Minister of Sudan Sadiq al-Mahdi died. Sadiq reportedly died of a corona virus infection.

Sadiq underwent treatment for three weeks at a hospital in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The news of Sadiq's death was announced by his family and party, Thursday, November 26.

The man who died aged 84 was the last democratically elected prime minister in Sudan. He was ousted in 1989 in a military coup that brought former President Omar al-Bashir to power.

Sadiq leads the moderate Islamic Umma Party and remains an influential figure, even after Bashir was ousted in April 2019. In October, his family said Sadiq was positive for COVID-19.

Sadiq was then transferred to the UAE for treatment a few days later, after being admitted to hospital in Sudan. Several family members and prominent party officials have also tested positive for COVID-19.

Sadiq returned to Sudan in December 2018 after a year of exile, just as protests over deteriorating economic conditions and Bashir's rule heated up. His daughter, Mariam Sadiq al-Mahdi, deputy leader of the Umma Party, was among those detained during the demonstration.

After the military forced Bashir from power, Sadiq pushed for changes to civilian rule. In an interview with Reuters, he warned about the risk of a retaliatory coup and called for a powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF) to be integrated.

The Sudanese government arrested Mahdi in 2014 and accused him of abetting armed rebels, a charge punishable by death, led him to seek refuge in Cairo.