Former President of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted from power following a popular uprising and subsequently detained by the country’s military regime has been moved to a medical facility in northern Sudan, according to his lawyer. The 80-year-old ex-president has been held at a military facility near Khartoum since the eruption of conflict last year between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
His lawyer, Mohamed al-Hassan al-Amin, confirmed that al-Bashir was transferred to a better-equipped hospital in Merowe, approximately 330 kilometers from the capital, Khartoum. Al-Bashir’s health has reportedly deteriorated in recent times due to age-related complications and high blood pressure, though his condition is said not to be critical.
It was revealed that alongside al-Bashir, former Defense Minister Abdel-Rahim Muhammad Hussein, who was also detained following the regime change, was transferred to the same medical facility due to heart-related issues.
Denied requests by the International Criminal Court to extradite wanted individuals like al-Bashir, Sudan’s military rulers have maintained their stance. Both al-Bashir and Hussein face indictment by the ICC for crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide committed during the conflict in the Darfur region which led to widespread atrocities including mass killings, rape, torture, and persecution.
Since the recent outbreak of conflict in Sudan, it has been reported that at least 20,000 people have lost their lives, with tens of thousands sustaining injuries. The real toll is believed to be considerably higher according to rights groups and activists. The conflict has displaced about 10 million individuals within Sudan, with over 2 million fleeing to neighboring countries such as Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt.
The United Nations and other international organizations have documented numerous cases of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sudan, particularly in Darfur, where the Rapid Support Forces have been accused of ethnically motivated killings and mass rape. The ongoing conflict has left a devastating impact on Khartoum and other urban areas in Sudan.