Sudan detains ex-ruling party head Haroun wanted by ICC
Nov 8 (Reuters) - Sudan's army has detained a former senior Islamist official from ousted strongman Omar al-Bashir's era who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, officials from his party said. Ahmed Haroun, who chairs Sudan's former ruling National Congress Party, has been hiding for years and is wanted by the International Criminal Court over alleged war crimes and genocide in the…
Sudan's military has arrested Ahmed Haroun, a former senior official from the National Congress Party (NCP) and its chairman. Haroun, who has been evading capture for years, is currently wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes and genocide committed in Darfur during the early 2000s. He dismisses these charges as politically motivated.
In a recent interview, Haroun stated that the NCP and the military might not share political affiliations, but they were united in Sudan's ongoing civil war against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Two NCP officials have confirmed his arrest, although the reasons behind the military's move against a close ally remain unclear.
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have not yet issued a statement, nor has the ICC responded to the news. Some members of the Islamist movement claim that they supported the army's advances against the RSF during the three-year conflict, which has led to widespread ethnic killings, famine, and mass displacement. The UN has described the crisis as the world's largest humanitarian emergency.
The NCP is deeply rooted in Sudan's Islamist movement, which was influential during the era of dictator Omar Al Bashir. Haroun, along with many other Sudanese officials, was arrested in 2019 following an uprising and military coup that ended Al Bashir's rule. However, Haroun managed to escape from Kobar Prison during the civil war chaos and later expressed support for the SAF.
The ICC charges against Haroun include over 40 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, such as murder, rape, torture, attacks on civilians, and destruction of property, allegedly committed in Darfur during the 2000s. At that time, he was serving as the interior minister and later the humanitarian minister. In January 2024, the US offered a $5 million reward for information leading to Haroun's capture.
According to the US State Department, Haroun is accused of recruiting, financing, and arming the Janjaweed militia, which was involved in numerous atrocities in Darfur during the 2000s.
Written by urgent.news from The National UAE's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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