Sudan’s Ousted Ex-Leader Omar al-Bashir Moved to Merowe Hospital with Former Officials

Ousted Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir and several former officials have been relocated to Merowe hospital amid ongoing unrest. Get the latest updates on their situation and Sudan’s political landscape.

Sudan’s former leader, Omar al-Bashir, who was removed from power several years ago, has been relocated from a prison north of Omdurman to Merowe hospital, located approximately 450 kilometers from the capital, Khartoum.

His legal representatives requested this transfer for medical reasons, as the 80-year-old al-Bashir required treatments unavailable at the Wadi Seedna military base, where he was previously held. Accompanying him are two of his former aides: the ex-defense minister and the former sports minister.

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Sudan has committed to extraditing al-Bashir to the International Criminal Court, which has issued an arrest warrant for him. He is sought by the court on charges of genocide and war crimes associated with the Darfur conflict that began in 2003.

In response to an insurgency launched by rebels from the region’s ethnic central and sub-Saharan African communities, al-Bashir’s administration conducted a series of bombings and militia raids. These militias are accused of committing mass killings and sexual violence.

Al-Bashir’s transfer occurs amid ongoing conflict in Sudan, which erupted in April of the previous year between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The violence has resulted in millions being displaced and has left approximately half of the country’s population facing severe food insecurity.