Ahmed Haroun, a senior figure under former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, has been detained by Sudanese military authorities.
Haroun’s National Congress Party confirmed the detention in a statement on Sunday, 8 November, while the Associated Press cited two members of his defence team as saying he had been taken into custody in Omdurman, near Khartoum.
Reuters separately reported confirmation from two officials of the former ruling party.
Reason and whereabouts remain unclear
The Sudanese military had not issued a public explanation for the detention at the time of publication. Haroun’s lawyers said his whereabouts were unknown, and the ICC had not announced that he was in its custody or that arrangements had been made to transfer him to The Hague.
The National Congress Party demanded his release and claimed he was detained for expressing political views after a lengthy podcast interview. That account has not been confirmed by Sudan’s military authorities.
Outstanding Darfur warrant
The ICC lists Haroun’s case as being at the pre-trial stage. Its arrest warrant, issued on 27 April 2007, alleges 20 counts of crimes against humanity and 22 counts of war crimes connected with Darfur in 2003 and 2004.
The allegations include murder, persecution, forcible transfer, rape, torture and attacks against civilians. Haroun has denied the allegations and has previously described the case as politically motivated. He has not been convicted by the ICC.
Haroun was detained after Bashir was removed from power in 2019, but left prison after fighting reached Khartoum during Sudan’s current war. The Sudanese authorities did not hand him to the ICC during his earlier detention.
What happens next
The detention is potentially significant for victims seeking accountability for atrocities in Darfur, but it does not by itself place Haroun before the international court. Confirmation from the Sudanese military, clarification of the legal basis for his detention and any formal decision on an ICC transfer are still awaited.
Featured image: Judges of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, file photograph. Credit: International Criminal Court.
