Sadiq al Mahdi, who was hospitalized in the United Arab Emirates three weeks ago, was ousted in the 1989 military coup that brought Omar al Bashir to power.

His moderate OMA party was then one of the largest in the position and Maddie remained influential after Bashir was toppled in April 2019, pushing for a move to civilian rule.

Sudan's transitional administration, governing under apart sharing deal between civilian and military groups, has declared three days of mourning.

In a statement, Oma said Mahdi, who was 84 will be buried in the city off Omdurman on Friday.

Maddie had returned to Sudan in December 2018 just as a protest that would house Bashir were gathering steam.

His daughter, Marium Sadiq al Mahdi, was among those detained.

While a success or to the party head has not yet been announced, she is the deputy leader and has been the most visible in political negotiations and the media in recent years.

Opposition parties, greatly weakened under Bashir's three decade rule, are now just lean for power with the military during the country's transition, making the Omar parties continued unity crucial to maintaining the balance of power.