Former Prime Minister Sadiq Al Mahdi Dies of COVID-19

Former Prime Minister Sadiq Al Mahdi has died on Thursday, 26 November 2020 at the age of 84 from the coronavirus infection (COVID-19), three weeks after being admitted to hospital in the UAE for treatment.

Born on 25 December 1935, Sadiq Al Mahdi was a prominent Sudanese political and religious figure who was Prime Minister from 1966 to 1967 and again from 1986 to 1989. He was head of the National Umma Party and Imam of the Ansar, a sufi order that pledges allegiance to Muhammad Ahmad bin Abdullah, who proclaimed himself the “Mahdi” or the messianic saviour of Islam.

Al Mahdi tested positive for COVID-19 last month, and after a few days in hospital in Sudan, he was transferred to the UAE for treatment.

Al Mahdi will be buried on the morning of Friday, 27 November in Omdurman. He is survived by his wife and 10 children including Mariam Sadiq Al Mahdi, who is the deputy leader of the National Umma Party.

🔴سيصل جثمان الفقيد يوم غدا الجمعة وسيوارى الثرى بقبة الإمام المهدي #الصادق_المهدي https://t.co/8IlSltw3pF

— ‏هاشتاق السودان 🇸🇩 (@hash_sudan) November 26, 2020

Al Mahdi is the first public figure to have died of COVID-19 in Sudan. COVID-19 cases in Sudan are on the rise with more than 16,400 COVID-19 cases in Sudan. More than 1,600 people have died of the virus and more than 9,854 have recovered.

Several Sudanese ministers recently tested positive for the COVID-19. Sudan’s acting Health Minister Osama Ahmed Abdul Rahim warned there will be more cases across the country and hinted at a possibility of new restrictions. The reopening of schools have been postponed for two weeks to ensure that health requirements are implemented before the start of the new school year, which was scheduled to begin on 22 November.

Many took to social media to mourn the loss of Al Mahdi including Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok, the Minister of Youth and Sports Walaa Isam Elboushi, activist Mohamed Nagi Al Asm and many more.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
نعي أليم
قال تعالى ((وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوفْ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الأَمَوَالِ وَالأنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ ۝ الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالُواْ إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ ۝)) pic.twitter.com/aYyEVwx8fv

— Abdalla Hamdok (@SudanPMHamdok) November 26, 2020

فقد جلل للأمة السودانية، رحم الله الإمام الصادق المهدي زعيم حزب الأمة وأسكنه فسيح جناته وألهم آله وذويه وأحباءه الصبر والسلوان وحسن العزاء.
نسأل الله أن يشفي المرضى وأن يرفع الوباء عن البلاد والعباد.
إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون

— Mohamed Nagy Alassam (@AlassamNagy) November 26, 2020

فقدت بلادنا أحد أبرز أعلام السياسة والفكر بعد أن نعى الناعي في الساعات الأولى من فجر اليوم الإمام الصادق المهدي الذي تجسد تجربته الثرة شخصية تؤمن بقيم الحوار والسلمية وتقبل الآخر وأدب الإختلاف وإعمال الفكر.
نحن إذ ننعيه، ننعي قائدا سياسياً ومفكرا من الطراز الرفيع

— Walaa Isam Elboushi (@WalaaIsamAhmed) November 26, 2020