Mystery of ex-dictator’s whereabouts adds to crisis in Sudan

As Sudan is torn apart in a battle between rival generals, one question circulated through the country on Wednesday: Where is former dictator Omar Hassan al-Bashir?

Mr. al-Bashir, who was deposed in 2019 after three decades in power, is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. In Sudan he is still confronted allegations related to the 1989 coup who brought him to power, and he faces the death penalty or life in prison if convicted.

The uncertainty over his whereabouts was another sign that Sudan is sliding into lawlessness and could strike a blow to dwindling hopes of democratic rule in the country.

The latest developments came as one 72-hour ceasefire brokered by the United States that began on Tuesday held “in some parts,” according to UN envoy to Sudan, Volker Perthes. Some residents of the capital reported a lull in fighting on Wednesday, but others were still caught in the middle of clashes and reported hearing heavy gunfire and shelling.

Amid the chaos, Mr al-Bashir, 79, was thought to be held in Kober Prison in Khartoum, the capital, serving a two-year prison sentence for money laundering and corruption. But then a former official who, along with Mr. al-Bashir was detained Tuesday night after he left prison along with several other unnamed officials, without naming the former dictator.

That followed a statement from the Sudanese army that prisoners had been released after the supply of food, water and electricity to the prison was cut off.

Then on Wednesday, the military added to the confusion when it said Mr al-Bashir and four other former top officials were being held in a military hospital and had been in the facility for health reasons since before the conflict began nearly two weeks ago. .

In his statement said the military that Mr al-Bashir and the four other officials were “still in the hospital under the surveillance and responsibility of the judicial police”. But it turned up no evidence or photos of Mr al-Bashir.

In an audio clip circulated on social media and played on television channels across the Arab world, the official imprisoned with Mr. al-Bashir, Ahmad Muhammad Harun, said that he and other former government officials had left prison because of security reasons and would be responsible for their own protection. He did not name Mr al-Bashir.

Mr Harun, a former cabinet minister and senior official in Mr al-Bashir’s government, is also wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the Western Sudanese region of Darfur from 2003 to 2004. Harun said he would surrender to authorities and appear before the judiciary once government agencies were functional again.

The latest developments underlined the immensity of the political unrest in Sudan and how the power struggle between the generals poses a serious threat to the process of restoring democratic civilian rule. At least 459 people and more than 4,000 others have been injured in the fighting, now in its 12th day, according to the World Health Organization.

With limited access to basic services, thousands of people have also fled the country, making arduous journeys by road to neighboring countries including Egypt, Chad and South Sudan. And foreign governments have been evacuating their nationals and diplomatic personnel.

The fighting in Sudan, which has spread across the country, has pitted the army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against a paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces led by Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan. Both leaders had long been loyal to Mr. al-Bashir and connected with a wave of genocidal violence in Darfur, which killed some 300,000 people and displaced 2.5 million others between 2003 and 2008.

In 2019, the two generals helped depose Mr al-Bashir after a popular uprising swept the country. But they also united in undermining a transition to democratic governance, and by the end of 2021 staged a coup which scuttled a power-sharing agreement between civilian authorities and the military.

Their cooperation lasted until this month, when the two generals and the troops they commanded clashed in the street. As they battled for supremacy, both generals have set themselves up as the guardian of peace and democracy and urged the citizens to side with them.

Early Wednesday, both the military and paramilitary forces referred to Mr. Harun and accused each other of Mr. Harun escape from prison. In a statement, said the Rapid Support Forces that his release was part of a process “aimed at restoring the deposed regime”.

in turn, accused the Sudanese army the paramilitary group that attacked several prisons in Khartoum and the city of Omdurman and forced prison guards to release prisoners. The army also distanced itself from Mr Harun, who had called on the public to support it in his audio message.

“We are very surprised that he was referring to the armed forces, as they have no connection whatsoever with Ahmad Harun, his political party, or the administration of the country’s prisons, which are the responsibility of the Sudanese Ministry of Interior and Police . the a statement from the military said.

Addressing the UN Security Council on video from Sudan late Tuesday, Mr Perthes, the UN envoy, said there was “no unequivocal sign” that either side was ready to negotiate, and warned of rising crime and attempted assaults when thousands fled the country.

“As the fighting continues, law and order will continue to crumble,” he said. “Sudan could become increasingly fragmented, with devastating consequences for the region. And even if one side wins, Sudan will lose.”