Sudan's veteran political leader al-Mirghani dies at 90
Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party and head of the Khatmiyya Sufi order, died in Egypt.
Veteran political and religious leader Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani died in Egypt at the age of 90. Al-Mirghani led Sudan’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and headed the influential Khatmiyya Sufi order. Sudan’s Council of Ministers described him as a prominent national and religious figure who significantly contributed to the country’s political life and efforts for unity and consensus.
Al-Mirghani, who drew support from both the DUP and the Khatmiyya Sufi movement, will be buried on Monday at the Sayed Ali Al-Mirghani Mosque in Khartoum North. He inherited leadership of the Khatmiyya order in 1968 and the main DUP faction in 1982. His family has a long history of influence in Sudanese public life.
In November 1988, al-Mirghani met with John Garang, leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), resulting in the Mirghani-Garang Agreement. This peace initiative aimed to end Sudan’s second civil war with a ceasefire and a constitutional conference, but was overtaken by the 1989 military coup.
Why it mattersMohamed Osman al-Mirghani, a key figure in Sudanese politics and a leader of a major Sufi order, has died, affecting his party and followers.