Former Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir has been moved from a prison in the capital Khartoum to a military hospital. International news agencies report this on Wednesday based on local authorities. Al-Bashir, 79, was serving a prison sentence for corruption and is also wanted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Two high-ranking former colleagues are also said to be out of prison.
The violent conflict that erupted in Sudan this month is raging between militias that competed under Al-Bashir. His regime was overthrown in 2019 by a popular uprising, supported by the armed groups of Generals Burhan and Hemedti, who seized power themselves two years later. Al-Bashir’s alleged release would further undo the merits of the popular uprising.
Despite promises of a ceasefire, fighting continued in Khartoum on Wednesday. However, the intensity of the fighting would have decreased slightly. Reuters news agency reported a “high risk of biological hazard” on Tuesday when one of the two militias occupied a laboratory where samples of measles and cholera are kept, among other things.
‘Immense suffering’
António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, warned Tuesday for damage across the region. “Sudan’s power struggle ignites a fuse that could explode across the border, cause years of immense suffering and set back development by decades.”
Stories from Khartoum paint a “picture of devastation,” Guterres said. “People are trapped, terrified, with dwindling supplies of food, water, medicine and fuel. Healthcare is on the verge of collapse and several hospitals are being used by armed groups, according to the World Health Organization.”
Read also You need to know this to understand the conflict in Sudan, where civil war is looming