Death and State funeral of Mohammed Waladiya

Mohammed Waladiya, the 1st president of the People's Democratic Republic of Salamat, passed away just after noon on Saturday, April 18th 1975, while eating his lunch at the Presidential Palace in Dar Al Hamma. He suffered from a heart attack and he was 78. The Salamati government declared a 40-day mourning period in the afternoon following his death.

Death

Mohammed Waladiya was eating at the Presidential Palace in Dar Al Hamma at the Presidential Palace, when he suffered of a sudden heart attack at around 12:45 pm. A group of seven physicians were called in order to save him but the pair arrived late at the dining room. Waladiya's body was then secretly transported to a morgue. At the same time, physicians were informed to not reveal the info to the media by the Salamati government. Later in the afternoon, Majid Khummam was appointed as the 2nd president of Salamat.

The family of Waladiya was subsequently informed in the afternoon of April 18th, and was offered to see the body of the late leader.

Revelation to the population and pre-funeral

The Salamati government finally decided to reveal the info in the evening of April 18th 1975, and the state television announced the news at 8:00 pm. The news anchor also spoke in a deeper, calmer tone than the normal and was dressed in black.

Just after the announcement, thousands of Salamatis gathered on Independance Square to mourn the late president. Slowly, the square was overcrowded, and this resulted in a stampede which killed 27 mourners.

In the night between April 18th and April 19th, the Salamati government further instaurated a 40-day mourning period and the days between April 19th to April 25th included were off.

In the morning of April 19th, the body of Mohammed Waladiya was transported to a cold chamber in eastern Dar Al Hamma. Immediately, a large group of mourners came into the cold chamber to pay their last respects and recite dua'as (prayers) for the president. The body would lay in state until the afternoon of April 23rd. In the evening of the same day, the state television announced that the state funeral would take place on April 25th in Dar Al Hamma.

Funeral

The Salamati government invited foreign delegations to the state funeral, including these delegations :

• Johab Itari

The funeral started at 10:00 am on Saturday, April 25th 1975. The funeral started with a speech of the new president Majid Khummam, talking about his military feats and his glorious presidency on Salamat. He then let the General Khalid Wabbat also glorify his rule and what he has brought to the nation. At 10:30 am, the funeral convoy started from the Independence Square in central Dar Al Hamma. During 3 and a half hours, 8 black cars drove around Dar Al Hamma, passing by the districts of Dar Al Hamma-Centre, El Gamri, Dar Djamail East, Dar Al Hamma-Mediana, Hammadi, Madi before returning to the Presidential Palace at 2:00 pm, where the state funeral stopped.

Funeral convoy in Madi district.

The population of Dar Al Hamma was on the side of the streets, mourning, crying or praying for the president. An estimated 800 000 Hammadis were out in the streets.

The state funeral ended with a final speech from Majid Khummam and his famous "May Allah have mercy with him", before he bursted in tears. At 4:00 pm, the personal funeral service started, with the family of friends of Waladiya invited for Salat Al-Janaza.

The next morning, Mohammed Waladiya was buried in the Martyrs Cemetery in Bab Casabah district of Dar Al Hamma.