Sudan detains politician Ahmed Haroun wanted by ICC

The Sudanese Armed Forces have apprehended Ahmed Haroun, a former senior figure from Omar Al Bashir's regime, in a move that has raised concerns among international observers. Haroun, who heads the National Congress Party, has been a fugitive for years. He is currently accused by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of war crimes and genocide during the Darfur conflict in the early 2000s.

Despite these allegations, Haroun maintains that the National Congress Party and the army are not politically aligned, but are in a civil war against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The arrest of Haroun has left the military and the ICC without immediate response. Operatives from the Islamist movement have claimed to have aided the army's advances against the RSF during the three-year conflict, which has resulted in mass ethnic killings, famine, and displacement.

The NCP, which is rooted in the Islamist movement, saw Haroun among the numerous officials arrested in 2019 following an uprising and military coup that ended Al Bashir's rule. Haroun managed to escape from Kobar Prison during the civil war and has since expressed support for the SAF. The ICC has charged him with over 40 counts, including murder, rape, torture, attacks on civilians, and destruction of property in Darfur in the early 2000s, when he served as interior and humanitarian minister.

The US State Department has offered a $5 million reward for information leading to Haroun's capture, alleging that he recruited, financed, and armed the Janjaweed militia which committed atrocities in Darfur in the 2000s.