Confusion surrounded reports on Wednesday that former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir had been cleared to travel abroad for treatment, after his lawyer and family gave sharply different accounts of the situation.
Earlier in the day, lawyer Mohamed El-Hassan El-Amin told Sudan Tribune that the Sudanese army had given preliminary approval for Omar al-Bashir to seek medical treatment outside the country.
Hours later, the family of Omar al-Bashir disputed the claim.
In a statement, family members said no official authority had informed them of any approval. They described the need for treatment abroad as “critical and urgent”, according to Sudan Tribune.
The family also appealed directly to General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Sovereignty Council and commander of the Sudanese army, to approve the request.
El-Amin later appeared to soften his position. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, he said there was “no official decision so far”. According to the lawyer, some officials had not objected to the request, but no formal approval had been issued. He added that an earlier request submitted more than a year ago failed to advance.
Questions also remain about the health of Omar al-Bashir.
El-Amin said the former president is suffering from symptoms of an undetermined cause that require advanced medical equipment for diagnosis. He also referred to recurring low blood pressure and infections but declined to provide further details.
The timeline of his recent movements is also unclear. Sudan Tribune reported that Omar al-Bashir was recently transferred back to the army-run Alia Hospital in Omdurman after spending time in Merowe. El-Amin told Asharq Al-Awsat that the transfer took place about two weeks ago.
The current dispute comes more than seven years after Omar al-Bashir was removed from power.
The Sudanese army ousted Omar al-Bashir in April 2019 following months of nationwide protests against his rule. He has remained in custody since then.
After his removal, he was initially held at Kober prison in Khartoum, where he faced trial over the 1989 coup that brought him to power. Those proceedings were interrupted by the outbreak of war in Sudan in April 2023.
In September 2024, Omar al-Bashir and several former officials were transferred from the Wadi Seidna military area to Merowe for medical treatment. He is now back in Omdurman and remains under military custody.
The situation marks a striking change from the years when Omar al-Bashir travelled abroad despite facing international arrest warrants.
The International Criminal Court issued its first warrant for Omar al-Bashir in March 2009 on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the conflict in Darfur. A second warrant followed in July 2010, adding genocide charges. Neither warrant has been enforced, and the ICC continues to list him as at large.
Any decision to allow Omar al-Bashir to leave Sudan would carry political and legal implications because of the outstanding ICC warrants against him.
Asharq Al-Awsat, citing unnamed high-level sources, reported that figures linked to the dissolved National Congress Party have been seeking a country willing to receive Omar al-Bashir. According to the report, they hope to secure his departure before any future political developments increase pressure on Sudanese authorities over the ICC case.
The same sources questioned reports of a serious deterioration in his health and claimed he had previously declined an offer to travel to Eritrea.
Those claims have not been independently confirmed and differ from the concerns raised by family members about his condition.
El-Amin also pointed to another recent case. He said former vice president Bakri Hassan Saleh is currently receiving treatment in Ankara, with the approval of Sudanese authorities.
The debate over Omar al-Bashir’s request therefore appears to centre less on whether treatment is needed and more on whether permission will ultimately be granted.
For now, Omar al-Bashir remains under military custody in Omdurman, with no confirmed decision on whether he will be allowed to travel abroad for treatment.
