Report from BBC News LIVE Reporting
By BBC Monitoring
Dated Wednesday 26 April 2023 8:37 BST UK - full copy:
Whereabouts of former President Bashir unclear amid mass prison breaks
Detained ex-officials from the regime of ousted President Omar al-Bashir have reportedly fled from Kober Prison in Khartoum, which has been the epicentre of Sudan's power struggle.
It is unclear if Bashir - who was jailed for corruption during his 30-year tenure - is among the escapees.
However, Al Jazeera on Tuesday cited family members saying he was still receiving treatment at a military hospital in the Sudanese capital.
And an official from the former governing National Congress Party (NCP) who fled from the prison told the Al-Sudani newspaper that they will "surrender to the judicial authorities when the situation allows".
"We made a decision to protect ourselves due to lack of security, water, food and treatment, as well as the death of many prisoners in Kober [prison]," Ahmed Haroun said.
Haroun is wanted for alleged war crimes, which he has previously denied. They relate to the alleged incitement of violence against civilians in Darfur. He was arrested in 2019 following the coup against Bashir.
Prisons have reportedly been targeted as fighting between the rival military factions rage for a second week.
In South Darfur's capital of Nyala, at least 750 prisoners reportedly escaped following protests and riots by inmates, while hundreds of others have escaped from other prisons in Khartoum and Omdurman.
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