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President Kiir orders flags to be flown at half-staff to honour Sudanese politician

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April 23, 2020 (JUBA) – South Sudan President has ordered to lower the national flag at half-staff for three days to mark the death of Mansour Khalid, a veteran Sudanese politician and a former member of the historical SPLM who died on late on Wednesday .

Khalid died in Khartoum late on Wednesday night at the age of 89 years old.

His death sparked an outpouring of tributes from across the political spectrum in the two Sudans. The former foreign minister was one of the few northern Sudanese politicians that joined the SPLM under the leadership of the late John Garang.

Mansour, was one of the SPLM negotiators for the CPA that ended the civil war in Sudan and paved the way for the independent South Sudan.

After the independence of South Sudan, he remained in touch with President Kiir and his former comrades and worked during the first years to promote the young nation and to attract Arab investors.

“On his address in his office on Thursday, President Salva Kiir ordered the flags to be flown half-mast for a period of 3 days in honor of the death of the late Dr Mansour Khalid who contributed tirelessly in South Sudan liberation struggle,” said the presidency in Juba on Thursday.

“President Salva Kiir described the late Dr. Mansour Khalid as brilliant, Fighter and a hero and whose death has a big loss to both Sudan and South Sudan,” further said the presidency.

Following the eruption of the war in the South Kordofan between the SPLA-N fighters led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu and the Sudanese army in June 2011. He in vain sought to quell the conflict and prevent the extension of the conflict to the Blue Nile.

His comrade Yasir Arman who is in Juba taking part, in the peace process disclosed in an obituary for Mansour Khalid that the late asked him last December to inform Kiir that “he would like to bid farewell to the people of South Sudan and the President before he leaves”

Following what, Kiir directed to take the needed arrangements and he came to Juba and met President Kiir on 14 January.

In Khartoum, the Sovereign Council and the government released separate statements mourning Khalid’s passing.

(ST)

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