Sudanese president sacks second VP

KHARTOUM, Oct 6 (AFP) — Sudanese President Omar el-Beshir on Wednesday fired Mubarak al-Fadil al-Mahdi, who served as his second vice president, palace sources said, without giving a reason.

Mahdi took up the office almost two years ago after having led a breakaway group from the mainstream opposition Umma party which is led by his cousin, Sadek al-Mahdi, a former prime minister.

Mubarak Mahdi and a group of rebel Umma party officials returned to Sudan from exile and accepted ministerial portfolios, including the information and international cooperation posts.

He was interior minister in his cousin’s democratically-elected government that was toppled by Beshir in a 1989 bloodless coup.

Wednesday’s presidential decree targeted only Mahdi without mentioning his colleagues.

It was not clear if the move signaled a tilt toward the Umma as part of a government effort to win over the party.