Sudan’s former PM Sadiq al-Mahdi dies of coronavirus

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Sudan’s former prime minister and top opposition figure Sadiq al-Mahdi is dead. 

He died from a coronavirus infection on Thursday, his party said.

The 84-year-old was the country’s last democratically elected prime minister before he was toppled in 1989 by now-ousted president Omar al-Bashir in an Islamist-backed military coup.

The leader of the moderate Islamist National Umma Party was transferred to the United Arab Emirates for treatment three weeks ago after being hospitalised in Sudan and testing positive for Covid-19.

“We offer our condolences to the Sudanese people over his death,” the party said in a statement.