Sudan’s ex-leader Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted form power several years ago, has been moved from a jail north of Omdurman to Merowe hospital, which is situated some 450 kilometres away from the capital Khartoum.
His legal team requested for the 80 year old to be transferred due to medical reasons, as al-Bashir required treatments that were not available at the Wadi Seedna military base where he was previously detained. Two of his former staff were moved with him – the former defence minister and former sports minister.
Sudan has pledged to hand al-Bashir over to the International Criminal Court, which has issued an arrest warrant for him. Al-Bashir is wanted by the court on charges of genocide and war crimes relating to the conflict in Darfur, which erupted in 2003.
After rebels from the territory’s ethnic central and sub-Saharan African community launched an insurgency, al-Bashir’s government responded with a series of bombings and raids by militias. These militias stand accused of mass killings and rapes.
Al-Bashir’s transfer comes as Sudan is grappling with another conflict, which broke out in April last year between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Millions have been displaced by the fighting, which has also left around half of the country’s population facing acute hunger.