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On November 19, 1924, Sir Lee Stack, the British governor general of Sudan
and commander of the Egyptian army, was assassinated in Cairo. The assassination
was one of a series of killings of British officials that had begun in 1920.
Allenby, who considered Stack an old and trusted friend, was determined to
avenge the crime and in the process humiliate the Wafd and destroy its
credibility in Egypt. Allenby demanded that Egypt apologize, prosecute the
assailants, pay a £500,000 indemnity, withdraw all troops from Sudan, consent
to an unlimited increase of irrigation in Sudan and end all opposition to the
capitulations (Britain's demand of the right to protect foreign interests in the
country). Zaghlul wanted to resign rather than accept the ultimatum, but Allenby
presented it to him before Zaghlul could offer his resignation to the king.
Zaghlul and his cabinet decided to accept the first four terms but to reject the
last two. On November 24, after ordering the Ministry of Finance to pay the
indemnity, Zaghlul resigned. He died three years later.
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