Muhammad Nour Saad (, 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 Gaafar Muhammad an-Nimeiry (otherwise spelled in English as Gaafar Nimeiry, Jaafar Nimeiry, or Ja'far Muhammad Numayri; ; 1 January 193030 May 2009) was a Sudanese military officer and politician who served as the fourth president of Sudan, hea ...

. The coup was orchestrated by opposition leader

Sadiq al-Mahdi Sadiq al-Mahdi (; 25 December 1935 – 26 November 2020), also known as Sadiq as-Siddiq, was a Sudanese political and religious figure who was Prime Minister of Sudan from 1966 to 1967 and again from 1986 to 1989. He was head of the National Um ...

and aimed to overthrow the Nimeiri regime, which had ruled Sudan since a 1969 coup.

Biography

Saad graduated from the

Sudanese Military Academy Sudanese Military Academy () is one of the Military academy, military colleges in Sudan and the first military college established in Africa. The Military College at Wadi Sayyidna, near Omdurman, has been Sudan's primary source of officer trainin ...

in 1955, then he studied mechanical engineering in Germany. He was fired from the

Sudanese Armed Forces The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF; ) are the military forces of the Republic of the Sudan. The force strength has been estimated at personnel in 2011 (by IISS), 200,000 personnel before the current war in Sudan broke out in 2023 (by the CIA), and ...

in 1974 after being accused of plotting a coup. After that he left to Germany.

1976 coup attempt

Saad led the armed forces during the coup attempt, which took place on 2 July 1976. 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 Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi (20 October 2011) was a Libyan military officer, revolutionary, politician and political theorist who ruled Libya from 1969 until Killing of Muammar Gaddafi, his assassination by Libyan Anti-Gaddafi ...

. The dissident forces stormed

Khartoum Khartoum or Khartum is the capital city of Sudan as well as Khartoum State. With an estimated population of 7.1 million people, Greater Khartoum is the largest urban area in Sudan. Khartoum is located at the confluence of the White Nile – flo ...

, the capital of Sudan, in a bid to seize control of key government installations, including the

Presidential Palace A presidential palace is the official residence of the president in some countries. Some presidential palaces were once the official residences to monarchs in former monarchies that were preserved during those states' transition into republics. ...

, radio stations, and military barracks. 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.Burr, J. Millard and Robert O. Collins, ''Darfur: The Long Road to Disaster'', Markus Wiener Publishers: Princeton, 2006, , p. 111 Following the failure of the coup, Saad and other key figures, including 98 soldiers and civilians, were arrested, tried, and executed. 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. In 1977, a

national reconciliation National Reconciliation is the term used for establishment of so-called 'national unity' in countries beset with political problems. It can refer to: * * National Reconciliation (Australia) – a movement between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Au ...

took place between Sadiq al Mahdi, the leader of the opposition who was based abroad, and Nimeiry.

References

{{Reflist Sudanese Military College alumni Sudanese soldiers 1976 deaths Executed Sudanese people