Al-Bashir’s Whereabouts...a Mystery that Baffles the Sudanese

 Al-Bashir with some members of his military team in 1989 (AFP)
Al-Bashir with some members of his military team in 1989 (AFP)
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Al-Bashir’s Whereabouts...a Mystery that Baffles the Sudanese

 Al-Bashir with some members of his military team in 1989 (AFP)
Al-Bashir with some members of his military team in 1989 (AFP)

The whereabouts of former President Omar al-Bashir, who was overthrown in a popular revolution on April 11, 2019, are still unknown for the majority of the Sudanese people.

The ousted president was placed in the central Kobar Prison, along with some members of his regime, before he was transferred by medical decision to the military hospital in the city of Omdurman. His aides escaped from prison two weeks after the start of the war.

Since that date, no one knows the exact location of the former president and the members of his regime, who escaped from prison and were accused of war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity in the Darfur region, by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

In light of the conflicting news about Al-Bashir’s whereabouts, Asharq Al-Awsat spoke with a source close to the decision-making centers in the Islamic Movement, who confirmed that Al-Bashir was smuggled from the military hospital to a safe place in northern Sudan, along with his Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Mohammed Hussein.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said that the smuggling operation was carried out by a group of extremist fighters affiliated with the Islamic Movement organization and the Islamists’ special forces, without significant participation from the army, whose mission was limited to providing security for the operation.

The source spoke about the implementation of a complex airdrop operation that preceded the smuggling of the two men, which aimed to rescue them by providing them with urgent medical and food supplies, following the deterioration of their health condition.

He added that the two men were taken directly to the city of Berber in the north of the country, where it was reported that Islamist leaders held a large secret meeting in the city, chaired by Al-Bashir. The operation took place more than a month ago, according to the same source.



Desperate for Cash, Gazans Sell Clothes Plucked from Rubble

Desperate for Cash, Gazans Sell Clothes Plucked from Rubble
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Desperate for Cash, Gazans Sell Clothes Plucked from Rubble

Desperate for Cash, Gazans Sell Clothes Plucked from Rubble

Moein Abu Odeh clambered up a pile of rubble in southern Gaza, searching for clothes, shoes, anything he could sell to raise cash more than a year since Israel started its relentless bombardments.

The father-of-four delved under blocks and brushed away piles of concrete dust at the site of one airstrike in the wrecked city of Khan Younis. His plan was to sell what he found to buy flour.

"If food and drink were available, believe me, I would give (these clothes) to charity," he said. "But the struggles we are going through (mean we) have to sell our clothes to eat and drink."

Widespread shortages and months of grinding war have generated a trade in old clothing, much of it salvaged from the homes of people who have died in the conflict.

At one makeshift market, shoes, shirts, sweaters and sneakers were laid out on dusty blankets, Reuters reported.

A girl tried on a single worn-out boot, which could come in handy this winter if she can afford it in Gaza's ruined economy.

A trader got an edge on his competitors by shouting out that his wares were European.

One man laughed as he got a young boy to try on a green jacket.

"We get clothing from a man whose house was destroyed. He was digging in the concrete to get some (clothing) and we buy them like this and sell them at a good price," displaced Palestinian Louay Abdel-Rahman said.

He and his family arrived in the city from another part of Gaza with only the clothes they were wearing. So he also keeps some back for them. "The seasons have changed from summer to winter and we need clothing," he said.

In April, the UN estimated it would take 14 years to dispose of the wreckage in Gaza. The UN official overseeing the problem said the clean-up would cost at least $1.2 billion.

More than 128,000 buildings have been destroyed or severely or moderately damaged in Gaza as a result of the conflict, the UN says. Underneath all of that are seams of mangled clothes.

"All our children only have short-sleeve clothing and nobody is helping them," Saeed Doula, a father-of-seven, said. "The war is all-encompassing."