Sudan's presidential adviser dies in crash

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

KHARTOUM, June 27 (Reuters) Sudan's powerful presidential adviser Majzoub al-Khalifa, who was instrumental in signing last year's Darfur peace accord, died in a car accident in northern Sudan, a presidential source said today.

''He died in a car accident on his way to Shendi. He and his brother were killed and other members of his family were injured,'' the source said.

No other vehicle was involved in the accident, which appeared to be the result of a blown tyre, the source added.

Khalifa was head of the government negotiating team in talks which led to the signing of a peace deal last year in Sudan's Darfur region.

Khalifa and his brother, from northern Sudan, will be buried in his home town of Taybat al-Khawad later today.

The accident happened at about 4.30 am (0130 GMT) today.

Ministers are flying to the area for the funeral and other government employees left for the long drive to his village.

Khalifa was one of the main interlocutors in the Darfur process.

Only one of three rebel groups signed the May 2006 deal, and the other insurgents have since split into more than a dozen factions wreaking havoc in Darfur.

International experts estimate 200,000 have died in more than four years of fighting in Sudan's remote west and about 2.5 million have been driven from their homes.

Khalifa, born in 1950, graduated from Khartoum university's faculty of medicine in 1976. He had previously held the positions of governor of Khartoum and agriculture minister.

Khalifa, known for his gruff diplomacy, was energetic, large of stature and said to be one of the close inner circle of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. Sometimes called a ''thug'' by his critics, he was blunt and to the point in his diplomatic dealings.

Chadian President Idriss Deby was due to visit Khartoum today but some government sources said the visit was likely to be postponed.

REUTERS LPB RAI1350

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