The Ahmed Haroun arrest, reported on 8 November, has left unanswered whether Sudan’s army will hand the former ruling-party chief, wanted by the International Criminal Court, to The Hague.
Sudan’s army detained Haroun, who heads the former National Congress Party (NCP), on Sunday, two defence lawyers told the Associated Press. The army has not commented, and on Wednesday the Emergency Lawyers group said the Ahmed Haroun arrest was still not confirmed, according to Dabanga. This analysis follows reports first published on Sunday.
What is known about the Ahmed Haroun arrest?
Two NCP officials confirmed the arrest to Reuters, in a report carried by Al-Monitor, though it was unclear why the army moved against an ally. There was no immediate comment from the army or the ICC.
The defence lawyers, who spoke anonymously because they were not authorised to brief the media, said he was detained in Omdurman, the sister city of Khartoum. They had earlier said he was held in the eastern province of Kassala, and told AP his whereabouts were unknown. The two accounts differ, and neither has been independently verified.
Reuters said Haroun gave a televised podcast interview on Saturday in which he said the NCP and the army might not be politically aligned but were united in the war against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The arrest followed a day later.
What does the ICC want from Ahmed Haroun?
The International Criminal Court has sought Haroun for about 20 years over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur in the early 2000s, according to AP and Reuters. The charges include murder, rape, persecution, forced transfer of the population and torture, AP said. He was a senior security official under the longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir and later chaired the NCP.
Haroun has denied the charges and dismissed them as political, Reuters said. Reuters added that he had been hiding for years. A suspect is presumed innocent unless convicted, and the ICC has not tried him.
Why does the Ahmed Haroun arrest matter for Sudan’s war?
Islamist operatives say they helped the army’s advances against the RSF during more than three years of war, Reuters reported, a conflict the United Nations calls the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis. The NCP is rooted in the Islamist movement that dominated the early Bashir era.
The army’s position on any handover to the ICC has not been stated in the material reviewed, and the Emergency Lawyers group has said the arrest itself is unconfirmed.
DNE Africa has reported on the humanitarian toll of the war in North Kordofan, and on the state of Sudan’s health sector.
What happens next?
The key questions are whether the army confirms the detention, where Haroun is held, and whether it will cooperate with the ICC. Sudan’s military authorities have not given a reason for the arrest. The ICC has not said whether it has requested his surrender.
FAQ
Who is Ahmed Haroun?
He is a former senior security official under Omar al-Bashir and the chair of the former ruling National Congress Party. The ICC has sought him over alleged crimes in Darfur.
Has the Ahmed Haroun arrest been confirmed?
Two NCP officials and two defence lawyers said he was detained. The army has not commented, and the Emergency Lawyers group said on Wednesday it was still not confirmed, according to Dabanga.
What is Ahmed Haroun accused of?
The ICC accuses him of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, including murder, rape and torture. He denies the charges.
Will Sudan hand Haroun to the ICC?
The army has not said. It has not commented publicly on the detention.
