Death and state funeral of Gamal Abdel Nasser explained

Date:28 September 1970
1 October 1970 (Funeral service)
Location:Cairo, United Arab Republic
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Participants:State officials, foreign delegations, citizens
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Gamal Abdel Nasser, the 2nd president of Egypt, died on 28 September 1970, at age 52. Abdel Nasser, one of the most respected and revered Arab leaders, died suddenly after bidding farewell to the Emir of Kuwait at the airport, as soon as the work of the emergency Arab summit ended. Vice president Anwar Sadat gave a speech to the nation announcing the death of Nasser.[1] After the news of his death came out, Egyptian television and radio hastily began reciting the verses of the Qur'an.[2] Nasser had never recovered from the second stroke in four years.[2]

He was succeeded by his vice president, Anwar Sadat. His funeral was attended by millions of Egyptians and foreign mourners, including leaders. At least 46 people were killed and 80 injured in the stampede.[1] The United Arab Republic declared 40 days of mourning,[3] India three days,[4] and Algeria at least three days. Cuba, East Germany and Yugoslavia also declared one day of mourning each.

Illness and death

Nasser was a heavy smoker and had a family history of heart attacks. He was also suffering from diabetes. He had a heart attack in 1966 and September 1969.

At the time of his death, Abdel Nasser was mediating between the King of Jordan and the leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization to stop the their civil unrest.[5]

Funeral service

The funeral was attended by all Arab leaders, with the exception of the aging Saudi monarch. Even in Arab countries, people came out to express their grief. In Jerusalem, about 75,000 Palestinians marched, chanting "Nasser will never die".[6]

Dignitaries

States

Spiro Koleka (Envoy)

Houari Boumedienne (President)

Emir Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa

Paul Martin (Envoy)

Jean-Bédel Bokassa (President)

Sirimavo Bandaranaike (Prime Minister)

Guo Moruo (Envoy)

Archbishop Makarios (President)

Paul Verner (Envoy)

Jacques Chaban-Delmas (Prime Minister)

Stylianos Pattakos (Deputy Premier)

Gopal Swarup Pathak (Vice President)

Amir-Abbas Hoveyda (Prime Minister)

Hardan al-Tikriti (Vice President)

Aldo Moro (Foreign Minister)

Kiichi Aichi (Foreign Minister)

King Hussein

Emir Sabah Al-Salim Al-Sabah

Suleiman Frangieh (President)

Colonel Muammar Gaddafi

Mohamed Ghazali Jawi (Minister of Agriculture)

Ahmed Balafrej (Envoy)

Kang Ryang Uk (Envoy)

Abdul Rahman al-Eryani (President)

Abdul Motaleb Malik (Minister of Health)

Ion Gheorghe Maurer (Prime Minister)

Prince Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

Mohamed Siad Barre (President)

Salim Rubai Ali (President)

Alexei Kosygin (Premier)

Gregorio López-Bravo (Foreign Minister)

Jaafar Nimeiry (President)

Nureddin al-Atassi (President)

Julius Nyerere (President)

Habib Bourguiba Jr. (Minister of Justice)

Süleyman Demirel (Foreign Minister)

Alec Douglas-Home (Foreign Secretary)

Elliot L. Richardson (Secretary of Health)

Edvard Kardelj (Envoy)

Organizations

Yasser Arafat (Chairman)

Suspicions

Doubts arose about the cause of death, including that he was poisoned, but these allegations were not supported by evidence.[7] [8]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Nasser's death, 50 years on. Martin. Kramer. 29 September 2020.
  2. Web site: Fifty Years On: Remembering Gamal Abd al-Nasser. Alina. Scott. 23 October 2020. Not Even Past.
  3. Web site: Death of Egypt's Abdel Nasser, 50 Years Ago .
  4. Book: Indian National Congress . Socialist India . Indian National Congress. All India Congress Committee. . v. 1 . 1970 . 4.
  5. News: Staff . Our Foreign . 2014-09-29 . From the archive, 29 September 1970: President Nasser dies of heart attack . en-GB . The Guardian . 2023-04-04 . 0261-3077.
  6. Web site: انهيار زعماء الدول.. مشاهد مُبكية من جنازة جمال عبدالناصر . 28 September 2020 .
  7. Web site: Nasser did not die of poisoned coffee: doctor. 26 September 2010. Al Arabiya English.
  8. Web site: StackPath. dailynewsegypt.com.