Sudanese March Demands Numeiri’s Return by Egypt

KHARTOUM, Sudan —  About 40,000 people marched on the Egyptian Embassy on Thursday to demand the extradition of ousted President Jaafar Numeiri, who has lived in Egypt since being deposed in a coup three months ago.

“Mubarak Is a Zionist Agent” and “Protectors of Numeiri Are the Enemies of the People,” read some of the banners carried by the protesters. Numeiri, a U.S. and Egyptian ally who ruled for 16 years, has lived under Egyptian protection since being overthrown by the military in a coup in April while returning home from Washington. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has said Numeiri may live in Cairo as long as he wishes.

Since the coup, Egyptian-Sudanese relations have been clouded on one side by Numeiri’s presence in Egypt and on the other by Khartoum’s rapprochement with Egypt’s arch-foe, Libya.

Sudan’s new leaders demand Numeiri’s trial, charging that he was corrupt, abused power and facilitated the airlift last year of Ethiopian Jews to Israel via Sudan.