The RSF accuses the Army of allying with elements of the Al Bashir regime to “undermine the popular revolution”
26 Apr. (EUROPE PRESS) –
A member of the former regime of Omar Hasan al Bashir wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes has escaped from prison in the context of the fighting that broke out on April 15 between the Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Ahmed Harun, a former Sudanese interior minister accused of war crimes during the conflict in Darfur, was incarcerated in Kober prison in the capital Khartoum, a facility where a prisoner breakout was reportedly reported earlier this week. .
Harun himself has indicated in an audio message that “at the request of the forces remaining from prison security, we have moved to another location under a limited guard of no more than three people.” The liberation took place after a protest in Kober over the lack of water and electricity.
Likewise, it has indicated that the decision was adopted “with the hope that the prison authorities would obtain a court order to release them, which was not possible”, as reported by the Sudanese news portal Sudan Tribune. Harun has stressed that he is willing to appear before the judicial authorities when they have the capacities to assume the proceedings.
Harun has also confirmed that former Vice President Ali Osman is among those released and has called for support for the Army in its combat with the RSF, which has been immediately criticized by the paramilitary forces, which have accused the Armed Forces of allying with elements of the former Al Bashir regime.
The RSF have indicated in a statement published on their account on the social network Twitter that “the coup leaders prepared plans to create contexts that would incite a war to create security justifications that would allow the release from prison of the leaders of the defunct regime (of Al Bashir) to complete his extremist terrorist project by returning to power”.
“We have warned from the first day of the outbreak of the war and affirmed with conclusive evidence that the leadership of the coup forces has returned to the arms of the extremist organization (referring to Al Bashir’s party)”, they have affirmed, before maintaining that Harun’s words “clearly demonstrate these facts.”
In this sense, they have reiterated that the Army and “its partners in the defunct regime” seek to “undermine the popular revolution.” “We promise our people that we will not back down on our promise to protect their glorious revolution (from 2019, when Al Bashir was overthrown), resulting in a truly democratic mandate.”
“A new revolution has begun, led by the RSF, to complete the glorious December Revolution to drive out the seditious regime and save the Sudanese people from the clutches of oppression, extremism and terrorism,” they said, before promising ” defend the revolution to the last drop of blood”.
The information about Harun’s release from prison comes days after Al Bashir, who was also imprisoned in Kober, was transferred to a military hospital due to the fighting in the area.
There are 20 charges against Harun for crimes against humanity and 22 for war crimes, although the authorities refused to hand him over to the ICC, arguing that they had the capacity to judge him for his actions in the context of the conflict in the Darfur region.
Similarly, Khartoum refused to hand over Al Bashir to the ICC and sentenced him for corruption. Likewise, he was being tried in the country for his role in the 1989 military coup, which brought him to power, without proceedings being opened against him for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
