Khalid Hassan Abbas

Khalid Hassan Abbas
خالد حسن عباس
Minister of Defense
In office 29 October 1969 – 16 April 1972
President	Gaafar Nimeiry
Preceded by	Umar al-Haj Musa
Succeeded by	Gaafar Nimeiry
Deputy Chairman of Junta
In office 1969–1971
Succeeded by	Abel Alier
Personal details
Born	17 March 1936
Died	20 August 2015 (aged 79)
Military service
Allegiance	Democratic Republic of Sudan
Years of service	1956-2015
Battles/wars	1969 Sudanese coup d'état 1971 Sudanese coup d'état

Khalid Hassan Abbas (March 17, 1936 – August 20, 2015) (Arabic: خالد حسن عباس‎‎) was a Sudanese General and politician. Abbas served as minister of health, minister of communications and transport and commander in chief of the armed forces of Sudan. He is recognised for his intelligence although he remained silent and peaceful all his life.

Abbas rose to prominence as a result of his involvement in the 1969 Sudanese coup d'état, following which he became the Deputy Chairman of the ruling National Revolutionary Command Council.

Abbas was appointed as Minister of Defense on 29 October 1969^[1] following a cabinet reshuffle implemented to strengthen the army's control over the Sudanese government. Abbas, an anti-Mahdist and non-communist, was given the role. As Defense Minister he, alongside Babiker, would push Nimeiry to adopt a more aggressive response to the rising threat to the government posed by the Ansar movement, resulting in the brutal crackdown seen on Aba Island in 1970.^[2]

Abbas's tenure also saw the attempted 1971 Sudanese coup d'état, during which his younger brother was killed. The RCC was disbanded following the 1971 coup attempt at Abbas's insistence, and Nimeiry instead assumed the title of President in September 1971. Abbas served as Defense Minister until 16 April 1972, at which point Nimeiry took over the role.

Abbas died on 20 August 2015, and was buried on Riyadh Arboretum Street in Khartoum.^[3]

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