Sudan's military authorities have re-arrested Ahmed Haroun, a former senior Islamist official and chairman of the National Congress Party, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur. Haroun was detained in Omdurman, the sister city of the capital, Khartoum, according to two defense lawyers who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Haroun was first detained in April 2019, following a monthslong uprising that led to the ouster of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir and his government. He was held in a Khartoum prison along with al-Bashir and other senior officials wanted by the ICC. However, the military declined to hand them over to the international court. Haroun had been accused of crimes including murder, rape, persecution, and forced transfer of the population in Darfur between 2003 and 2004.
The conflict in Darfur began in 2003 when rebels from the territory's ethnic central and sub-Saharan African community launched an insurgency, complaining of oppression by the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum. The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Haroun in 2007, charging him with crimes against humanity and war crimes. Haroun has denied the charges.
Haroun was released from prison in April 2024 after the facility was attacked during the war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). His re-detention is linked to a recent podcast interview in which he suggested that his party and the military, although not aligned, are united in the fight against the RSF.
The National Congress Party has called for Haroun's immediate release, stating that he was detained merely for expressing his opinion. However, the party did not address the ICC warrant for his arrest. The RSF has been accused of committing atrocities, including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings, which amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The United Nations and international rights groups have condemned the RSF's actions, particularly its multiday attack on el-Fasher in Darfur last year, which bore "hallmarks of genocide," according to U.N. experts. The Emergency Lawyers group, which was behind the uprising against al-Bashir, has condemned Haroun's interview as a "legal scandal and a direct challenge to international justice."
The group is calling for the army to detain Haroun and hand him over to the ICC, along with al-Bashir and former Defense Minister Abdel-Rahim Muhammad Hussein. The Emergency Lawyers group emphasized that justice for victims of crimes committed in Sudan cannot be held hostage to political or military balances, and that ending impunity requires subjecting all accused and wanted persons to judicial accountability.
Key points
- Ahmed Haroun, a former senior Islamist official, has been re-arrested by Sudan's military authorities despite being released from prison in April 2024.
- Haroun is wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in Darfur between 2003 and 2004.
- The re-detention is linked to Haroun's recent comments in a podcast interview, which suggested that his party and the military are united in the fight against the Rapid Support Forces.
