Ex-Sudanese president Nimeiry dead at 79
May 30, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – The former Sudanese president Ga’afar Mohamed Nimeiry who was ousted in a popular uprising a quarter of a century passed away on Saturday.
The Sudanese presidency said he would be buried on Sunday in Omdurman where he was born in 1930. President Omer Al-Bashir will attend the state funeral along with several other top figures.
Nimeiry took power exactly 40 years ago in a military coup that ousted the government of the former President Ismail al-Azhari, on May 25, 1969.
His term witnessed sharp shifts in political alliances and numerous coup attempts which he crushed ruthlessly.
Before to be elected as president of the republic in October 1971, Nimeiry faced two challenges: the Nasar’s insurgency in March 1970 and a three-day coup d’état organized by Sudanese communists’ officers in July 1971.
On 27 February 1972, Nimeiry signed the Addis Ababa Agreement with the Anya-Nya southern insurgents at Addis Ababa putting an end to the civil war till 1983 after he took a series of steps that violated the terms of the accord prompting a renewal of civil strife.
He was a strong ally of the West and one of the few Arab leaders to support Egypt’s peace agreement with Israel. It was revealed later that he allowed ferrying out the Ethiopian Jews through Sudan.
Nimeiry who had no political party behind him when he took power in 1969, maintained his regime during 16 years thanks to political alliances with different Sudanese parties. In the early eighties the former president came increasingly under the influence of the Sudanese Islamists led by Hassan Al-Turabi who convinced him to implement the Sharia in September 1983.
But before that he also breached the Addis Ababa agreement by re-dividing the southern region to three regions in June 1983. The peace deal had been already violated since 1981 when he had dissolved the southern Regional Assembly and imposed his own Council for the Unity of the Southern Sudan.
Before the fall of his regime, he distanced himself from the Sudanese Islamists.
However, the increase in political tensions and cracking down on political opposition as well as worsening economic conditions prompted the army to move and end his regime.
The late Neimeiry was deposed on April 6, 1985 in a bloodless coup d’état led by his chief of staff, Lieutenant General Suwar al-Dhahab, a Muslim Brother while he was visiting Washington.
Nimeiry was in Cairo at the time and remained in exile there until 2000 when president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir permitted his return and afforded him immunity from judicial prosecution related to violations committed by his government.
(ST)
Lual
Ex-Sudanese president Nimeiry dead at 79
You will be on the right side of Jehovah god Or Hallah, upto the end of the days, you will be remeber as a Leader who gave all Sudanese freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, an obsession. Unlike John Garang and Umer Beshir you are the Leader of Sudanese people, peace be with you for what you done.
Lualdit
Akol Liai Mager
Ex-Sudanese president Nimeiry dead at 79
Nimeiry will be remembered by both Marginalised people of Sudan and the sectarian ruling elite for his tripple legacies.
If you carefully revisit the following legacies, you will be able to judge fairly:
1. Nimeiry’s 1ist legacy is; Addis Ababa Agreement that stop the bloodshed of the 1ist civil war in the South is neither a Bible nor Qura`an and therefore should go into the bin
2. The 2nd legacy is; an Application of the most Racist Laws on Earth known as September Islamic Shari`a laws 1983
3. The 3rd legacy is the Military Pact he signed with Libya and Egypt aimed at crushing any popular or military Up-Rising in the South and other marginalised regions.
The crisis that sieged our country today is due to the above mentioned legacies.
I am fully aware that the current NIF in power has ploted and pushed Nimeiry to all three legacies in its attempts to create the situation that we are in now, but as President, Nimeiry is fully responsible for what happened in his era.
Anyway, May Almighty God judge him fairly if he has been fair in his judgement to the Sudanese marginalsed people.
Mayom Mading Agau
Ex-Sudanese president Nimeiry dead at 79
Our Ex. president Nimeiry has died the way he lived and may Almighty God rest his soul according to how he lived on earth.
It’s hard to understand why people are taken from us. “You’ll be judged according to how you judge people on earth, said Bible.”
May God bless his family and find comfort in knowing he was a special part of a well-lived life in the family.
God bless you.
Spla Commando
Ex-Sudanese president Nimeiry dead at 79
Ga’afar Nimeiry,
will be remembered as symbol of peace, and disunity among the Southerners, his policy of dividing the South into three regions in those days creates the genesis of tribalism in South Sudan and now we live with it extracting it like a decaying teeth, In the aftermath of Neimery’s decree of Southern Regions Equatorian resorted to Kokoro which they still threaten now to re-invent if GoSS doesn’t move out of Juba as its capital.
May God rest his soul in peace.
Hillary B.M.L,M
Ex-Sudanese president Nimeiry dead at 79
Most of Southern Sudanese Intellectuals were educated during Mohamed Ga’afar Nemiry Presidency era including Dr.John De Mabier. He allowed many Southerners to pursued Education Abroad.
May God rest his Soul in eternal Life.
Henry Makuei
Ex-Sudanese president Nimeiry dead at 79
Condolencies to the family of Ga’afar Nimeiry, the Sudanese people and Musesim brothers in the north. the former president’s death is not a lost to the relatives but to the intire country as he was a prominant figure in the country. Sudanese people lost a great man like John Garang again may his soul rest in peace. peace be with his relatives and the Sudanese people.
gunelupai
Ex-Sudanese president Nimeiry dead at 79
Condolence to our former President Ja’afar Mohamed Nimeri. He is the first President during his regime to be friendly to the people of South Sudan. He visited the rurual areas in South Sudan, non of the previous Presidents did that. He enlightened the people of South Sudan to empower themselves with peace, love and unity. He imposed compulsary education for all the citizens of Sudan especially girls. The education was encouraged to promote peace by participating in Schools’ Sports Day in the whole Sudan and I remembered South Sudan used to achieve the best performance in Basketball, Volleyball, athletics and handball games with trophies.
He empowered women during Sudan Socialist Union (SSU)and made the voice of women to be heard. He promoted gender equality in his regime.
He wanted the people of Sudan to be healthy nation by declaring three days in the week to consume meat so that they should keep to a balanced diet. These are some of the aspects of his character that I appreciate as a social leader.
The politics led him down when he divided the South Sudan into three regions and imposing Sharia Laws by Degree respectively without enquiring the rights of the citizens.
Some of victims were assassinated by accustion done by relatives, friends or colleagues.
As Our Saviour Lord Jesus Christ taught us (the Christians) to forgive those who have wronged us, we must forgive him.
“Let his soul rest in eternal peace.”
Kuanlualthoun
Ex-Sudanese president Nimeiry dead at 79
Mr. Nimeiry is not and will never be remembered as great leader of Sudan by vast majority of Sudanese people, specailly in Southern Sudan, given to the mess he caused in the country during 1980s, when he introduced his devlish Islamic laws that sent the country into civil wars!! No matter what the current president of Sudan is the only northerner who really wants the people of Sudan to live in peace due to his love for the ountry!! Nimeiry soul will burn anyway whether we like or not as millions of the Sudanese people that died because his nonsense Islamic laws!! long live omer al basheir