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Sudan’s former President Omar al-Bashir is seeking permission to travel abroad for specialised medical treatment after his lawyers said he needs tests and procedures not currently available in the country.
Bashir, 82, was recently transferred from a hospital in the northern city of Merowe to Aliaa Specialist Military Hospital in Omdurman, across the Nile from the capital, Khartoum, following health complications. His lawyer, Mohamed El-Hassan El-Amin, said the former president requires further medical assessment and treatment outside Sudan.
El-Amin told AFP that Bashir’s condition “requires medical tests and cardiac imaging that are not currently available in Sudanese hospitals.” He said the defence team was not seeking treatment in any particular country, adding that Bashir could travel to any country that can provide the required care.
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The lawyer has also said Sudanese military authorities gave preliminary approval for Bashir to travel abroad, although the decision had not been implemented and still required further authorisation. Bashir’s family, however, said it had not received any official notification approving his departure.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Bashir’s family said his health had deteriorated and that treatment outside Sudan had become “critical and urgent”, calling for the process to be expedited. The family also appealed to army chief and Sovereign Council head General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to allow the former president to leave the country for medical care.
Bashir came to power in a 1989 military coup and ruled Sudan for nearly three decades before being removed from office in April 2019 following months of mass demonstrations.
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His continued detention also carries international legal implications. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Bashir over allegations including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the Darfur conflict. Bashir denies the allegations and has remained in Sudanese custody rather than being transferred to the ICC.
His medical situation has developed as Sudan’s healthcare system continues to suffer severe disruption from the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which began in April 2023. Hospitals and other medical facilities have been damaged, closed or left without essential resources, limiting access to specialised care.
For now, it remains unclear whether Bashir will receive final authorisation to leave Sudan, with his legal team continuing to seek approval for treatment abroad.
