Bashir, who ruled Sudan for 30 years, was detained in Kober prison, which thousands of prisoners escaped from at the weekend

The whereabouts of Sudan‘s former president Omar al-Bashir are in doubt after thousands of inmates escaped from Kober prison, the high security facility he has been detained in since 2019, over the weekend.

Two inmates told Middle East Eye that they had escaped Kober on Sunday, along with thousands of other fellow prisoners, after fighting intensified around the prison. They were not able to say whether Bashir had also escaped or been moved.

Sudanese local media published a video showing prisoners leaving Kober prison and footage of clashes around it on Sunday. The video showed people in their white prison uniforms walking down an alleyway, carrying their belongings.

Prisoners had set two guard vehicles on fire and protested against the lack of food and water. MEE could not independently verify these reports.

Sources in Sudan and the US told MEE they had heard Bashir had been moved by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, but were also unable to confirm this information.

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An anonymous police source who spoke to Sudans Post, a publication based in South Sudan, said that Bashir and some other members of his administration had been moved out of Kober prison to a safe place, after gunmen thought to be from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary attacked prison guards to free inmates.

“The police have taken necessary measures to secure the safety of former president Omar al-Bashir and members of his regime, who have been moved to a secure location. This move is also aimed at preventing them from fleeing the prison,” the police source said.

Middle East Eye has approached the Sudanese police spokesperson for comment.

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