[JURIST] Former rebel leader John Garang [Wikipedia profile], who eventually made peace and joined the Sudanese government as a vice-president, died over the weekend in a helicopter crash, sparking riots and threatening to destabilize the region. Officials in Sudan said Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement [party website] leader Garang and 13 others died after the presidential helicopter he was traveling in crashed. Garang was the highest ranking official in the Sudanese government to ever came from the southern province or claim to be Christian and news of his death has reportedly prompted anti-Arab attacks. Earlier this year Garang played a large role as Sudanese officials ratified the January Peace Accords [JURIST report] between the now-autonomous South and the Khartoum government [official website] of the north. Sudan has declared a 12-hour curfew [Aljazeera report] beginning this evening in Khartoum as a result of the riots. Reuters has more.