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May 31, 2009

Former Sudanese President Nimeri Dies
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=248610A:A6F02AD83191E160AFC2310B0DC08A56A13B8D4F2090AB2B&
 
Jaafar Nimeiri came to power in 1969 coup before being ousted in 1985 
Former Sudanese President Jaafar Nimeiri - who imposed strict lslamic
law on Sudan - has died. A statement from Sudan's presidential office
says the 79-year-old former leader died from an unspecified illness. It
says he will be buried on Sunday in Omdurman near the capital, Khartoum.
Mr. Nimeiri came to power in a coup in 1969 and served for 16 years
until he too was ousted by a coup in 1985 while visiting the United
States. President Nimeiri imposed Islamic Sharia on Sudan in 1983, a
move that alienated the largely non-Muslim south, and is widely viewed
as the catalyst for the nation's 22-year civil war. Following his
ouster, Mr. Nimeiri lived in exile in Egypt. He returned to Sudan in
1999.Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.


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