Sudanese military authorities have detained Ahmed Haroun, a former senior official under ousted President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur during the early 2000s. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/a47bd58777a94f6e2af60ca16f1994fd?utm_source=openai))
Haroun, who served as Minister of State for the Interior and later as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, is accused by the ICC of coordinating government bodies and the Janjaweed militia in a counterinsurgency campaign in Darfur. The charges include murder, rape, persecution, forcible transfer, and torture. ([thenationalnews.com](https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/11/08/sudan-detains-politician-ahmed-haroun-wanted-by-icc/?utm_source=openai))
Following the overthrow of al-Bashir in April 2019, Haroun was detained and held in Kober prison in Khartoum. He reportedly escaped in April 2024 during an attack on the facility amid the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). ([washingtonpost.com](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/11/08/sudan-darfur-icc-war-ahmed-haroun/5426a19e-db94-11f1-912c-4fbb80d73f7f_story.html?utm_source=openai))
The circumstances surrounding Haroun’s recent detention remain unclear. His National Congress Party has demanded his immediate release, stating that he was detained merely for expressing his opinion. ([washingtonpost.com](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/11/08/sudan-darfur-icc-war-ahmed-haroun/5426a19e-db94-11f1-912c-4fbb80d73f7f_story.html?utm_source=openai))
In a recent podcast interview, Haroun stated that while the National Congress Party and the military might not be politically aligned, they are united in the fight against the RSF. ([washingtonpost.com](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/11/08/sudan-darfur-icc-war-ahmed-haroun/5426a19e-db94-11f1-912c-4fbb80d73f7f_story.html?utm_source=openai))
Rights advocates have condemned the interview and urged the military to transfer Haroun, along with al-Bashir and former Defense Minister Abdel-Rahim Muhammad Hussein, to the ICC. ([washingtonpost.com](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/11/08/sudan-darfur-icc-war-ahmed-haroun/5426a19e-db94-11f1-912c-4fbb80d73f7f_story.html?utm_source=openai))
The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Haroun in April 2007, listing 20 counts of crimes against humanity and 22 counts of war crimes allegedly committed in Darfur between 2003 and 2004. ([thenationalnews.com](https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/11/08/sudan-detains-politician-ahmed-haroun-wanted-by-icc/?utm_source=openai))
The United Nations Security Council referred the Darfur situation to the ICC through Resolution 1593 in 2005, requiring Sudan’s government and all other parties to the conflict to cooperate fully with the court and its prosecutor. ([thenationalnews.com](https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/11/08/sudan-detains-politician-ahmed-haroun-wanted-by-icc/?utm_source=openai))
As of now, Sudanese military authorities have not publicly commented on Haroun’s detention or any plans to transfer him to the ICC. The situation continues to develop, with international observers closely monitoring for further developments. ([washingtonpost.com](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/11/08/sudan-darfur-icc-war-ahmed-haroun/5426a19e-db94-11f1-912c-4fbb80d73f7f_story.html?utm_source=openai))