Wadi Saedeena / Merowe — Deposed Sudanese dictator Omar Al Bashir, ousted by a military coup in April 2019, who is facing currency and corruption charges in Sudan, with calls that he be extradited to face the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague on charges of war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity, was transferred to Merowe in Sudan's Northern State for medical treatment last week, together with a number of his co-defendants, his legal defence team has confirmed.

Al Bashir, who was initially held in Khartoum's notorious Kober Prison, was moved to Wadi Saeedna military base north of Omdurman, after the start of hostilities between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF) in April 2023 prompted the release of all prisoners from Kober. During the initial phases of the current conflict, Wadi Saeedna also served as a base for the frantic evacuation of hundreds of foreign nationals from Sudan.

Al Bashir was transferred to Merowe on Thursday, accompanied by former Defence Minister Lt Gen Abdelrahim Hussein, and former Minister of Youth and Sports, Maj Gen Youssef Abdelfattah, his defence team confirms.

On behalf of Al Bashir's defence team, lawyer Mohamed El Amin told Radio Dabanga that his clients were transferred to Merowe, adding that the former president's assistant, Lt Gen Bakri Hassan Salih, had been transferred three weeks ago, as "the hospital in the military area in at Wadi Saeedna military base does not offer sufficient treatment for their health conditions."

El Amin confirmed that his clients are still "detained" in the Merowe area: "We in the defence team demand their release, like the rest of the detainees who were released from Kober prison, with personal pledges to guarantee their return whenever they are asked to do so, when security conditions become favourable."

Al Bashir trial

Former Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir, who ruled the country for 30 years and was deposed by a military coup in April 2019, is facing currency and corruption charges in Sudan, however, there are calls from the international community, the Sudanese diaspora, as well as some voices within Sudan, that Al Bashir be extradited to face the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, that has indicted him on charges of war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity.