Former Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir has been relocated from the war-torn capital of Sudan to the northern town of Merowe for medical care, as confirmed by his lawyer on Tuesday.
At 80 years old, Bashir, who has been imprisoned along with his allies since being ousted in a popular uprising in 2019, has been taken to a detention facility in Merowe. He is expected to receive treatment at a local hospital, according to lawyer Mohamed Hassan al-Amin.
“He requires medical follow-up and periodic check-ups. Occasionally, he experiences complications that need monitoring, but his condition is stable at the moment,” Amin stated.
Amin also noted that the reasons for some of Bashir’s symptoms remain undiagnosed, possibly necessitating treatment outside of Sudan. This marks the first instance of Bashir being moved from the capital.
Bashir was previously convicted of corruption and illicit financing, facing additional legal challenges before the outbreak of war in April 2023. Until recently, he was held at an army base in Omdurman, an area of Sudan’s capital that has been engulfed in conflict between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Fighting in Omdurman has intensified, with witnesses reporting that the RSF shelled local neighborhoods on Tuesday. In contrast, Merowe, located approximately 340 km (210 miles) north, has remained relatively unaffected by the ongoing violence.
Bashir is also wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide linked to the Darfur conflict that began in 2003.
Additionally, Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussein, a former minister who also has an ICC warrant issued against him, has been transferred to Merowe for health treatment alongside Bashir. Another key figure from Bashir’s regime, Bakri Hassan Saleh, who was a close ally during his 30 years in power, has already been moved to a hospital in Merowe.