Thousands expected to attend Garang funeral

In Sudan, the funeral will take place today of the former rebel leader, John Garang.

He died in a helicopter crash on Sunday, just three weeks after being named vice-president as part of the country’s historic peace deal. Across southern Sudan hundreds of supporters have been paying their last respects, including Uganda’s President, Yoweri Museveni, for whom the cause of the crash remains unclear. “Either the pilot panicked in spite of the plane having good conditions, or there was a side wind, or the instruments didn’t work, or there was an external factor,” he said. Garang, who led the Sudan People’s Liberation Army for 21 years, will be buried in Juba, a town near the regional capital, Rumbek. Earlier this year, Garang signed the peace agreement with the Khartoum based government which ended Africa’s longest running civil war. More than 130 people died in clashes between southerners and Arabs following his death. But SPLA leaders and Garang’s widow say they do not suspect any foul play.

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