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Muhammad Nour Saad

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Muhammad Nour Saad
محمد نور سعد
Personal details
Died1976  Executed
Khartoum, Sudan
Known for1976 Sudanese coup attempt
Military service
Allegiance Sudanese Armed Forces (until 1974)
Umma Party
Rank Lieutenant Colonel

Muhammad Nour Saad (Arabic: محمد نور سعد, died 1976) was a Sudanese military officer who lead the ground operation for the 1976 coup attempt against the government of then-President Gaafar Nimeiry. The coup was orchestrated by opposition leader Sadiq al-Mahdi and aimed to overthrow the Nimeiri regime, which had ruled Sudan since a 1969 coup.

Biography

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Saad graduated from the Sudanese Military Academy in 1955, then he studied mechanical engineering in Germany. He was fired from the Sudanese Armed Forces in 1974 after being accused of plotting a coup.[1][2] After that he left to Germany.[3]

1976 coup attempt

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Saad led the armed forces during the coup attempt, which took place on 2 July 1976.[4] The coup was a well-coordinated effort involving rebel forces, including dissident soldiers and civilians, many of whom were trained and armed by Libya under the direction of Muammar Gaddafi.[5][6] The dissident forces stormed Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, in a bid to seize control of key government installations, including the Presidential Palace, radio stations, and military barracks.[7][8]

Loyalist forces supporting President Nimeiri fought back, leading to several days of intense fighting in Khartoum. The battle caused significant civilian casualties and damage to the capital. The government forces, backed by tanks, managed to regain control of the city, and the coup was suppressed within a week.[7][9][10]

Following the failure of the coup, Saad and other key figures, including 98 soldiers and civilians, were arrested, tried, and executed.[11] The regime also used the failed coup as an opportunity to consolidate power and crack down on opposition forces. Nimeiri's government blamed the coup on foreign interference, particularly Libya, and heightened security measures in the aftermath to prevent future attempts.[12][13]

In 1977, a national reconciliation took place between Sadiq al Mahdi, the leader of the opposition who was based abroad, and Nimeiry.[14]

References

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  1. ^ "تاريخ الانقلابات العسكرية في السودان منذ الاستقلال" [The history of military coups in Sudan since independence]. BBC News عربي (in Arabic). 2021-10-25. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  2. ^ ARR: Arab Report and Record. Economic Features, Limited. 1976. p. 491.
  3. ^ "محمد نور سعد قصة بطولة يجب ان تظل في ذاكرة الاجيال - الديمقراطي" [Muhammad Nour Saad, a story of heroism that must remain in the memory of generations]. Al-Democratic (in Arabic). 2022-08-11. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
  4. ^ "محمد نور سعد قصة بطولة يجب ان تظل في ذاكرة الاجيال - الديمقراطي" [Muhammad Nour Saad, a story of heroism that must remain in the memory of generations]. Al-Democratic (in Arabic). 2022-08-11. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
  5. ^ Mansour, Ahmed (2015-10-04). "مقتطفات من حلقة الصادق المهدي" [Excerpts from the episode of Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi].
  6. ^ Bein, Rick. "Giddafi takes Khartoum". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. ^ a b Bakri, Alsaayig (2020-06-02). "في ذكراها ال(٤٤): السنوسي "الصادق المهدي سبب فشل حركة ٢ يوليو ١٩٧٦"" [Sadiq al-Mahdi is the cause of the failure of the July 2, 1976 movement]. Alrakoba.
  8. ^ Abdalftah, Mona (2023-04-17). "الخرطوم تبني إرثا من المواجهات العسكرية" [Khartoum is building a legacy of military confrontations]. اندبندنت عربية (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-07-25.
  9. ^ "التفاصيل الكاملة لأحداث " المرتزقة " - 1976م" [Full details of the events of the "mercenaries" - 1976]. al-Nilin (in Arabic). 2013-07-13. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
  10. ^ Burr, J. Millard and Robert O. Collins, Darfur: The Long Road to Disaster, Markus Wiener Publishers: Princeton, 2006, ISBN 1-55876-405-4, p. 111
  11. ^ "تاريخ الانقلابات في السودان.. 35 انقلابًا في 63 سنة | تايم لاين في دقائق" [The history of coups in Sudan.. 35 coups in 63 years | Timeline in minutes]. دقائق.نت. 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
  12. ^ Dennis Hevesi (11 June 2009). "Gaafar al-Nimeiry, a Sudan Leader With Shifting Politics, Dies at 79". The New York Times.
  13. ^ "Sudan military coup: History of successful and failed coup attempts since independence". BBC News Pidgin. Retrieved 2024-10-19.
  14. ^ "Sudan - National Reconciliation". countrystudies.us. Archived from the original on 2023-05-29. Retrieved 2023-07-21.