Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani, the veteran leader of Sudan’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and head of the influential Khatmiyya Sufi order, has died in Egypt at the age of about 90.
In a statement issued on Friday, Sudan’s Council of Ministers described al-Mirghani as a prominent national and religious figure who had played a significant role in the country’s political life, particularly efforts to promote national unity, peace and political consensus.
The council extended its condolences to his family, members and supporters of the DUP, followers of the Khatmiyya order and the Sudanese people.
Al-Mirghani was among Sudan’s most influential traditional political and religious leaders, drawing support from the DUP and the Khatmiyya, one of the country’s major Sufi movements, with a strong following in eastern Sudan and along the Nile Valley.
Religious and political background
Al-Mirghani belonged to a prominent religious family that has played a major role in Sudanese public life for generations. He inherited leadership of the Khatmiyya order following the death of his father, Ali al-Mirghani, in 1968.
The order’s extensive following provided an important foundation for the family’s political influence and the DUP, which emerged from the merger of the National Unionist Party and the People’s Democratic Party, two movements rooted in Sudan’s independence-era politics.
Al-Mirghani assumed leadership of the main DUP faction in 1982, following the death of Sharif Hussein al-Hindi. Under his leadership, the party remained a significant force in Sudanese politics, although it experienced internal divisions and shifting political alliances.
Peace initiative with Garang
One of al-Mirghani’s most significant political initiatives came in November 1988, when he met John Garang, leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The meeting produced the Mirghani-Garang Agreement, a peace initiative aimed at ending Sudan’s second civil war, which had begun in 1983 between the government in Khartoum and the southern-based rebel movement.
The agreement proposed a ceasefire, the suspension of the September 1983 Islamic laws pending a constitutional conference, and a broader political process to address Sudan’s constitutional crisis.
The initiative was overtaken by the military coup of June 1989, which brought Omar al-Bashir to power and ended the civilian government of Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi.
Although the agreement was never implemented, it remained a significant attempt to resolve the conflict through negotiations.
Opposition and reconciliation with Bashir
Following the 1989 coup, the DUP joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), an umbrella coalition of political parties and armed movements opposed to al-Bashir’s government.
Al-Mirghani became chairman of the alliance and spent extended periods outside Sudan, particularly in Egypt, while continuing to lead his party.
His relationship with the government later shifted towards political accommodation. In 2005, he signed a reconciliation agreement with the ruling authorities following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between Khartoum and the SPLM.
The DUP subsequently joined a coalition government under Bashir in 2011, a move criticised by opposition groups and reflecting the party’s changing political alliances.
Al-Mirghani left Sudan in 2013 and spent much of the following decade in Egypt.
Return amid political uncertainty
He returned to Khartoum on November 21, 2022, after nearly a decade abroad, with thousands of supporters gathering at the airport to welcome him.
His return came amid negotiations over a political settlement following the October 2021 military coup, which derailed Sudan’s transition towards civilian rule.
Al-Mirghani expressed reservations about what he considered a rushed political settlement and warned against hastily imposed solutions.
His return also coincided with divisions within the DUP, particularly disagreements among his sons over the party’s political direction and its relations with the military.
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