Sudan’s Bashir in military hospital, army says

KHARTOUM, Sudan

Ousted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is being held in a military hospital in the capital Khartoum, the army confirmed on Wednesday.

A military statement said al-Bashir was moved to Aliaa Military Hospital on the recommendation of medical staff in Kober prison before the outbreak of clashes between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Al-Bashir, who ruled Sudan for three decades, was removed from power by the military in April 2019 following mass protests against his rule.

Al-Bashir came to power on June 30, 1989, after staging a military coup against the government of Prime Minister Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi, and ruled the country under what he named the "national salvation revolution".

The former president was held in the Kober prison in Khartoum in December 2019 after being found guilty of corruption.

Meanwhile, the head of the Bashir-era ruling party Ahmed Haroun had escaped from prison in Khartoum.

In a video message circulated on social media, Haroun, wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity, said that he had broken out of Kober prison in Khartoum due to a lack of security, water, food, and treatment.

At least 460 people have been killed and over 4,000 others injured in clashes between the Sudanese army and RSF forces since April 15, according to the Health Ministry.

A disagreement had been fomenting in recent months between the army and the paramilitaries over military security reform. The reform envisages full RSF participation in the military, one of the main issues in negotiations by international and regional parties for a transition to civilian, democratic rule in Sudan.