Sudan’s military again detains International Criminal Court fugitive Haroun, lawyers say

Sudan's military authorities have once again apprehended Ahmed Haroun, a former senior Islamist official wanted by the International Criminal Court for atrocities committed during the Darfur conflict in the early 2000s, according to two defense lawyers. Haroun, who served under longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir and later as chairman of the National Congress Party, was apprehended in Kassala, Sudan's eastern province.

The lawyers, who spoke anonymously due to lack of media authorization, stated that Haroun's current whereabouts remain unknown.

Haroun was initially detained in April 2019 during a month-long uprising that forced the military to oust al-Bashir and his government. He was imprisoned alongside al-Bashir and other senior officials, some of whom are also wanted by the ICC. However, the military refused to hand them over to the international court. Darfur's conflict erupted in 2003 when rebels from the region's ethnic African community revolted against the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum, alleging widespread oppression.

Haroun was accused by the ICC of crimes against humanity and war crimes, including murder, rape, persecution, forced population transfer, and torture in Darfur between 2003 and 2004. He has consistently denied these charges. Haroun walked away from the prison after it was attacked in April 2024 during the ongoing conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group.

The latest war has also witnessed atrocities such as mass rape and ethnically motivated killings, which are considered war crimes and crimes against humanity by the United Nations and international rights groups, particularly in Darfur.