Sudan: ICC fugitive Ahmed Mohamed Haroun seen addressing SAF soldiers in Kasala State

(28 July, 2023) African Center for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) expresses concern about the ongoing mobilization of National Congress Party (NCP) and Sudanese Islamic Movement (SIM) strongholds spearheaded by Mr. Ahmed Mohamed Haroun and Mr. Alfatih Izz Eldien. ACJPS has been reliably informed that NCP and SIM militia want to join the armed conflict as jihadists (mujahideen) as they plan to call upon Islamic extremist groups to join SAF during the ongoing conflict. It is alleged that the Sudanese Army is currently being controlled by NCP and SIM.

On 19 July, 2023 ACJPS was reliably informed that Mr. Haroun was seen together with other leaders of the former NCP and SIM like Mr. Alfatih Izz Eldien. Mr. Haroun is a former Sudanese minister was indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and an arrest warrant issued against him in 2009 for the war crimes committed in Darfur in Western Sudan. He addressed a military group in Batah conference hall located next to the SAF base in Division 14, Kasala state, Eastern Sudan. Mr. Haroun allegedly addressed the meeting in his capacity as an NCP and SIM leader. The meeting was reportedly aimed at raising support for the SAF during the ongoing armed conflict against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

On 21 July, 2023 the Sudanese Emergency Lawyers, a group offering free legal services to victims of arbitrary arrests during protests and human rights activists issued a statement calling upon the for Sudanese authorities, particularly the Military intelligence unit under SAF to fulfil their mandate and arrest Mr. Haroun and other NCP leaders that escaped from Kober prison since they were seen in Kasala, an area under the control of SAF.

Perpetuators wanted by the International Criminal Court

On 09 March, 2009 the ICC issued arrest warrants against several Sudanese leaders including; Mr. Abu Allah Banda, a member of the Darfur Movement, former president Omar Al-Bashir, former minister of Defense Gen. Omer Hassan Ahmed Al-Bashir, Gen. Abdul Raheem Mohamed Hussein and Mr. Haroun.

A reliable source informed ACJPS that Mr. Ali Banda, one of the perpetuators of war crimes during the Darfur war fled to Libya and he has been living there for the past few years. Former president Al-Bashir’s lawyer in the pending 1989 coup case stated that the RSF attacked the building hosting Alyaa Hospital where Al-Bashir is admitted. The hospital is attached to SAF Medical Unit in Omdurman. However, ACJPS has not been able to ascertain the whereabouts of the Gen. Abdul Raheem Mohamed Hussein. Mr. Abdul Raheem before the armed conflict was in and out of Kober prison due to health issues.

Other developments

The Central Reserve Police under supervision of Sudanese Police Forces (SPF) sided with SAF during an incident between SAF and RSF at the Arabic Market in Central Khartoum instead of remaining neutral and ensuring the safety and security of the civilians and their property.

SAF has lost two high ranking officers since the armed conflict erupted in April, 2023 namely; Mr. Nasser Eldien Abdul Rahim, the assistant General Command in Khartoum in May 2023 and Mr. Abdul Bagi Hassan Mohamed, the deputy commissioner of West Darfur State on 24 April, 2023 under unclear circumstances.

ACJPS calls upon the Sudanese authorities to cooperate with the ICC and exercise their state duty by arresting and handing over all ICC fugitives.

Background

Mr. Haroun was arrested together with other NCP leaders following a coup that toppled the NCP regime on 11 April, 2019 and they were being held at Kober prison in Khartoum Bahari awaiting conviction and sentencing. On 25 April, 2023 in an audio message circulated on social media, Mr. Haroun is heard saying that he and a number of former regime figures, who he did not name, left Kober prison in Khartoum after chaos hit the facility and that prisoners were released by authorities after inmates protested the lack of food and water by burning two cars inside the prison grounds. He also called the Sudanese people to support SAF during the ongoing armed conflict.

On 26 April, 2023 Police authorities issued statement denying the allegations in the audio and stated that the group were transferred to safe location. The Sudanese Army accused RSF for the attack on the prison while RSF through their political Advisor, Mr. Yousef Ibrahim Izate denied the allegations.