Omar al-Bashir's brothers arrested as Sudan protests continue
Written by Millennium on April 18, 2019
Sudan’s military rulers have arrested two brothers of deposed President Omar al-Bashir, as hundreds of people marched in the capital, Khartoum, calling for a swift handover of power to civilian leadership.
Shams al-Din Kabashi, spokesman for the transitional military council, said on Wednesday that Abdullah al-Bashir and Alabas al-Bashir were taken into custody as part of a continuing campaign of arrests against “symbols and leaders of the previous regime”.
The announcement came as sources said Sudanese authorities have transferred al-Bashir from “house-arrest” to the Kobar prison in northern Khartoum.
A former Sudanese minister told The Associated Press news agency that al-Bashir, who was overthrown by the military following months of protests against his nearly 30-year rule, was moved to the maximum security prison late on Tuesday. A guard at the Kobar prison confirmed the move to Al Jazeera, saying: “I saw President Omar al-Bashir being brought in with dozens of army officers.”
There was no official comment on the deposed leader’s whereabouts.
The military has said it would not extradite the deposed leader to the International Criminal Court to face charges of war crimes and genocide in the region of Darfur, but would instead put him on trial at home.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people joined a march by doctors and health workers towards a days-long sit-in outside the army headquarters, which has become the epicentre of Sudan‘s popular uprising.
Many wore white coats, waved Sudanese flags and chanted: “Freedom, peace, justice and the revolution is the people’s choice”. Journalists also held a separate rally in Khartoum calling for press freedom.
