Is Sudan's Omar al-Bashir free or in prison?

KHARTOUM, Sudan - As the war in Sudan enters the fourth week, it is not clear if deposed leader Omar al-Bashir is still held in prison or was freed, with one of the groups fighting claiming to have released him while another one insisting that he is still under custody within a "secure" location in Khartoum.

In 2019, al-Bashir, who was in charge of Sudan for three decades, was ousted from power following a civilian uprising that was backed by the military. By the time he was overthrown, he was being sought by the International Criminal Court [ICC] over war crimes in the fragile Darfur state.

Ironically, the Rapid Support Forces [RSF] and the Sudan Armed Forces [SAF] who had jointly backed the civilian uprising, are now locked horns over the control of the country with both parties claiming victory. Over the weekend, the two groups battled near the base where al-Bashir is being held.

Military officials told The Associated Press that Bashir, as well as Abdel-Rahim Muhammad Hussein and Ahmed Haroun – who both held senior security positions during the Darfur crisis – had been moved to a military-run medical facility in Khartoum under tight security for their own safety.

Later on, the army accused RSF of wearing military uniforms before raiding the prison and freeing inmates. The RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, denied the allegations and claimed that the military “forcibly evacuated” the facility as part of a plan to restore al-Bashir to power.

Haroun, a former official also wanted by the ICC, claimed that he had been freed from prison according to Sudan Television. According to him, they left prison because of fierce fighting and lack of food and water which are supposed to be provided by the government.

Haroun also said he was ready to appear in front of the judiciary whenever it was functioning and would take responsibility for his own protection. It was not immediately clear if Bashir, who has spent extended periods in a military hospital, was with him, Reuters reported.

For the last two weeks, the two groups have been fighting over the control of the capital Khartoum but on Monday, they all agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire to allow humanitarian assistance within the country. The ceasefire is also meant to allow several foreign nationals to leave at their will without coercion.

Kober prison held a number of activists detained after the coup. One of them who walked free, Ahmed al-Fatih, said he was willing to surrender at a police station but could not find any that were functioning amid the unrest, according to a statement released by his defense lawyers. Both activists said their lives were in danger at the prison as food and water ran low.

Al-Bashir created the powerful RSF in 2013 years after the Darfur war in which the group, formerly known as Janjaweed, was accused of killing thousands of people. After he was removed from power, al-Bashir was charged with several crimes in the country and would be imprisoned and he was found guilty.

GAROWE ONLINE