Sudan's military has again detained Ahmed Haroun, a former minister under Omar al-Bashir who is wanted by the International Criminal Court over alleged crimes in Darfur, according to party officials and lawyers.
Two unnamed officials of the National Congress Party, which Haroun led, confirmed the arrest. Two defence lawyers, who also did not give their names, said he was being held in Omdurman after earlier reports placed him in Kassala, and that his whereabouts were not clear. The Sudanese Armed Forces and the ICC did not immediately comment.
The interview
The lawyers linked the detention to a recent podcast interview. In a televised interview on Saturday, Haroun said the National Congress Party and the army may not be politically aligned but were united in the civil war against the Rapid Support Forces. The party called for his immediate release, saying he was held "merely for expressing his opinion".
A group of Sudanese emergency lawyers called the interview a "legal scandal and a direct challenge to international justice". It urged the army to hand Haroun, al-Bashir and Abdel-Rahim Muhammad Hussein to the ICC, and said: "Justice for victims of crimes committed in Sudan cannot be held hostage to political or military balances."
Background
The ICC wants Haroun over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur in 2003 and 2004, including murder, rape, persecution, forced transfer and torture. He denies the charges and has called them political. He was first detained in April 2019 and was reported to have left Kobar prison in April 2024 when it came under attack.
What we do not yet know
- Why he was detained, and by which unit.
- Where he is being held.
- Whether the army will hand him to the ICC. No handover has been reported.
