Large crowds gathered on Friday in Farouk cemeteries in central Khartoum to bid farewell to Amin Makki Madani, one of the country’s most prominent political and legal activists and opposition leader. The former minister of the democratic government passed away in Khartoum at the age of 80 after a long fight with illness. He was one of the leaders of the opposition in Sudan. Political and social organizations mourned Madani’s death. Opposition Leader Sadiq al-Mahdi said in a statement that the man was a pillar and leader of the Sudanese civil society and the opposition movement. “He dedicated his time and intellect to defend national and human rights causes. He has greatly contributed to the development of opposition work,” he said. Madani employed his legal expertise in the defense of human rights. He was arrested and detained due to his stances during the terms of former President Jaafar al-Nimeiri and President Omar al-Bashir. His most recent arrest occurred in December 2014, and in 2017 he was banned from travelling for treatment abroad. The late activist has received a number of human rights awards, notably the Human Rights Watch Award, the American Bar Association Award for Human Rights in 1991, and the European Union Human Rights Award in 2013. Madani was born in the city of Wad Madani in central Sudan on February 2, 1939. He earned a doctorate from the University of Edinburgh in 1970 (Comparative Criminal Law), a Master of Laws degree with distinction from the University of London (1965), a civil law diploma from the University of Luxembourg in 1964, and a Bachelor of Laws (Honors) from the University of Khartoum in 1962. He has held a number of positions in the United Nations and has a blog in his name where he published many articles on human rights and international humanitarian law. He was also a member of the International Commission on the Israeli-Lebanese War in 2006 and a writer for the International Commission of Jurists’ report on the Situation of Human Rights in the Sudan.