Omar al-Bashir (born 1944) ruled Sudan for 30 years with an iron fist until he was toppled by a popular uprising in 2019. Once one of Africa’s most powerful and feared dictators, he has spent the last six years as a prisoner of the state. As of Christmas Day 2025, he remains in military custody, though his location has shifted due to the ongoing civil war and his failing health.
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Key Biographical Information
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir |
| Born | January 1, 1944, Hosh Bannaga, Sudan |
| Rule | 1989–2019 (30 years) |
| Current Status | In Custody (Transferred to Merowe Hospital in late 2024/2025) |
| Legal Status | Convicted of corruption (2019); wanted by the ICC for genocide in Darfur. |
| Age | 81 years old |
Current Status: The Move to Merowe (Late 2025)
Throughout 2025, al-Bashir’s physical condition and whereabouts have been a subject of intense speculation as the war between the SAF and RSF ravages the country.
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Transfer from the War Zone: For much of 2023 and early 2024, al-Bashir was held at a military hospital in Omdurman (Wadi Seedna base) after the RSF attacked Kober Prison. However, as fighting intensified in the capital, he was moved to a more secure and better-equipped facility.
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Merowe Hospital: Since late 2024 and continuing through December 2025, al-Bashir has been held at a hospital in Merowe, approximately 330 km north of Khartoum. His legal team confirmed the move, citing the need for “medical follow-up and periodic check-ups” for age-related complications and high blood pressure.
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Inner Circle in Detention: He is not alone; former Defense Minister Abdel-Rahim Muhammad Hussein and former Vice President Bakri Hassan Saleh—both key pillars of his former regime—were also transferred to the Merowe facility for medical treatment.
Legal Limbo and the ICC
Despite being out of power, the “Shadow of the ICC” continues to hang over al-Bashir.
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The ICC Warrants: He remains the subject of two International Criminal Court warrants for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur.
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The Handover Debate: While the Sudanese military government (SAF) under al-Burhan pledged in 2021 to hand him over to The Hague, the outbreak of the civil war has frozen all such plans. As of December 2025, the SAF continues to use his custody as a symbol of their “legitimacy,” while refusing to surrender him to international authorities during a national crisis.
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Domestic Trials: His trial for the 1989 coup that brought him to power remains technically active but has been effectively suspended since the war began in April 2023.
The Legacy of December 19
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The Anniversary: On December 19, 2025, Sudan marked the 7th anniversary of the revolution that eventually toppled al-Bashir. While activists attempted to hold “Anniversary of the Revolution” marches in Omdurman and Port Sudan, they were largely dispersed by police—a stark reminder that while al-Bashir is gone, the struggle for civilian rule in Sudan remains unresolved.