Editing Omar al-Bashir (section)

==Biography==
===Early life===
Bashir was born into a peasant family that later moved to Khartoum, where he received his secondary education; he then joined the army. He studied at a military college in Cairo and fought in 1973 with the Egyptian army against Israel during the [[Yom Kippur War]].<ref>[https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2009/3/18/profile-omar-al-bashir Profile: Omar al-Bashir], ''Al Jazeera''</ref>

Returning to Sudan, he achieved rapid promotion, and in the mid-1980s he took the leading role in the Sudanese army’s campaign against the rebels of the southern Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA).
===1989 coup and military rule===
Bashir, frustrated with the country’s leadership, led a successful coup in 1989.<ref name = coup></ref> He became chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council for National Salvation, which ruled the country. Bashir dissolved the parliament, banned political parties, and strictly controlled the press. 

He was supported by [[Hassan al-Turabi]], a Muslim extremist and leader of the [[National Islamic Front]] (NIF). Together they began to Islamize the country, and in March 1991 sharia law was introduced. This move further emphasized the division between the north and the mainly animist and Christian south.<ref name = Turabi>[https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/03/08/the-islamist-behind-sudans-throne-turabi/ The Islamist Behind Sudan’s Throne], ''Foreign  Policy''</ref>
===President of Sudan===
In October 1993 the Revolutionary Council was disbanded, and Bashir was appointed president of Sudan; he retained military rule, however. He was confirmed as president by an election held in 1996. Bashir’s ally Turabi was unanimously elected president of the National Assembly.<ref name = Turabi></ref>

On June 30, 1998, Bashir signed a new constitution, which lifted the ban on political parties. In December of that year, however, he used military force to oust Turabi, who, he believed, was plotting against him.<ref>[https://mepc.org/journal/islam-and-democracy-1999-palace-coup-sudan Islam and Democracy: The 1999 Palace Coup in Sudan], Middle East Policy Council</ref> On March 12, 2000, Bashir declared a three-month state of emergency, which, by stages, he thereafter extended indefinitely. After the December 2000 elections in which he was once again confirmed as president, he dismissed the cabinet.
===Civil wars and Darfur conflict===
In October 2004, al-Bashir's government negotiated an end to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Sudanese_Civil_War Second Sudanese Civil War], one of the longest-running and deadliest wars of the 20th century, by granting limited autonomy to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Sudan Southern Sudan] dominated by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudan_People%27s_Liberation_Army Sudan People's Liberation Army] (SPLA). Since then, however, there has been a violent [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_Darfur conflict in Darfur] that has resulted in death tolls between 200,000 and 400,000. During his presidency, there have been several violent struggles between the Janjaweed militia and rebel groups such the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudan_Liberation_Movement/Army Sudanese Liberation Army] (SLA) and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justice_and_Equality_Movement Justice and Equality Movement] (JEM) in the form of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerrilla_warfare guerrilla warfare] in the Darfur region. The [[Civil War|civil war]] has resulted in over 2.5 million [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Displaced_person people being displaced], and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chad%E2%80%93Sudan_relations diplomatic relations] between Sudan and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chad Chad] being at a crisis level.<ref name = Darfur>[https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/in-remote-sudan-the-darfur-war-remains-present In remote Sudan, the Darfur war remains present], ''PBS Newshour''</ref>

Al-Bashir is controversial figure both in Sudan and worldwide. In July 2008, the prosecutor of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Criminal_Court International Criminal Court] (ICC), [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_Moreno_Ocampo Luis Moreno Ocampo], accused al-Bashir of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genocide genocide], [[crimes against humanity]] and war crimes in Darfur. The court issued an arrest warrant for al-Bashir on 4 March 2009 on counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, but ruled that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute him for genocide.<ref>[https://www.coalitionfortheicc.org/cases/omar-albashir Omar al-Bashir], Coalition for the International Criminal Court</ref><ref>[https://www.icc-cpi.int/darfur/albashir ''The Prosecutor v. Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir''], International Criminal Court</ref>

Since February 2003, Bashir’s [[Darfur Genocide|campaign of ethnic and religious persecution]] has killed at least 180,000 civilians in Darfur in western Sudan and driven 2 million people from their homes.<ref>[https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna23848444 Death toll of 200,000 disputed in Darfur], ''NBC News''</ref> The good news is that Bashir’s army and the [[Janjaweed]] militia that he supports have all but stopped burning down villages in Darfur. The bad news is why they’ve stopped: there are few villages left to burn. The attacks now are aimed at refugee camps, most of which are situated along Sudan's border with Chad.<ref name = Darfur></ref><ref>[https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/news/latest/2006/6/4485a8e54/unhcr-concerned-janjaweed-militia-attacks-eastern-chad.html UNHCR concerned about janjaweed militia attacks in eastern Chad], United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees</ref>

While the media have called these actions “a humanitarian tragedy,” Bashir himself has escaped major condemnation. In 2005, Bashir signed a peace agreement with the largest rebel group in non-Islamic southern Sudan and allowed its leader, John Garang, to become the nation’s vice president. But Garang died in July in a helicopter crash, and Bashir’s troops still occupy the south. On 9 July 2011, following a referendum, the region of Southern Sudan separated into an independent country known as South Sudan.
===Other acts of villainy===
*In 2015, Sudan participated in the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen against the Shia [[Houthis]] and forces loyal to former President [[Ali Abdullah Saleh]], who was deposed in the 2011 uprising. Reuters reported, "The war in Yemen has given Omar Hassan al-Bashir, a skilled political operator who has ruled Sudan for a quarter-century, an opportunity to show wealthy Sunni powers that he can be an asset against Iranian influence – if the price is right."<ref>[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-27/sudan-joining-saudi-campaign-in-yemen-shows-shift-in-region-ties Sudan Joining Saudi Campaign in Yemen Shows Shift in Region Ties], ''Bloomberg''</ref>
*During al-Bashir's three-decade tenure ruling Sudan, he allegedly looted the impoverished nation of much of its wealth. According to leaked US diplomatic cables, $9 billion of his siphoned wealth was stashed in London banks. Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the chief prosecutor, stated that some of the funds were being held in the partially nationalized Lloyds Banking Group. He also reportedly told US officials it was necessary to go public with the scale of Al-Bashir's extortion to turn public opinion against him.<ref>[https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/government-and-courtrooms-sudan-fights-recover-embezzled-billions Bashir's billions and the banks that helped him: Sudan fights to recover stolen funds], ''Middle East Eye''</ref>
*During the late 1990's, al-Bashir granted asylum to [[Al-Qaeda]] leader [[Osama bin Laden]].<ref>[https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/binladen/interviews/bashir.html Omar Hassan Ahmed Al-Bashir | Hunting Bin Laden | FRONTLINE], ''PBS Frontline''</ref>
*On 26 October 2011, Al Bashir said that Sudan gave military support to the Libyan rebels who overthrew [[Muammar Gaddafi]]. In a speech broadcast live on state television, Bashir said the move was in response to Col Gaddafi's support for Sudanese rebels three years ago. Sudan and Libya have had a complicated and frequently antagonistic relationship for many years.
**al-Bashir said the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), a Darfuri rebel group, had attacked Khartoum three years ago using Libyan trucks, equipment, arms, ammunition and money.
*Sudan under al-Bashir supported [[Saddam Hussein]] in the invasion of Kuwait and the subsequent Gulf War.
*Some organizations, in particular Christian Solidarity Worldwide and related organizations, argue that enslavement exists in Sudan and is encouraged by the Sudanese government.<ref>[https://csi-usa.org/slavery/ Slavery in Sudan], Christian Solidarity International</ref>
===Removal from power and aftermath===
On April 11, 2019, al-Bashir was removed from power by Sudanese military forces.<ref name = deposed></ref> This came in light of protests over the last several months demanding his resignation. He was immediately placed under house arrest pending the formation of a transitional council. At the time of his arrest, al-Bashir had ruled Sudan longer than any other leader since the country gained independence in 1956. 

The army also arrested all ministers of al-Bashir's cabinet, dissolved the National Legislature and formed a Transitional Military Council, led by his own First Vice President and Defense Minister, Lieutenant General Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf. More than 100 of al-Bashir's allies, including Prime Minister Mohamed Taher Ayala, National Congress Party leader and ICC fugitive for war crimes and crimes against humanity [[Ahmed Haroun]], member of the National Congress Awad Al-Jaz, and former vice presidents Bakri Hassan Saleh and Ali Othman Taha were also arrested. Former defense minister and Khartoum state Governor [[Abdel Rahim Mohammed Hussein]], also subject to an ICC arrest warrant for war crimes and crimes against humanity, was also arrested.

On 17 April 2019, two prison officials, as well as members of al-Bashir's family, confirmed that al-Bashir was transferred from the presidential palace, where he had been under house arrest, to Khartoum's Kobar maximum security prison. Al-Bashir was reported to be surrounded by tight security and held in solitary confinement, in the same prison where he had held political prisoners during his time in power. This came a day after Uganda's Minister for Foreign Affairs Henry Oryem Okello considered offering the former president asylum in Uganda.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-uganda-sudan-bashir/uganda-says-it-is-willing-to-consider-asylum-for-sudans-ousted-leader-bashir-idUSKCN1RT0WA Uganda says it is willing to consider asylum for Sudan's ousted leader Bashir], ''Reuters''</ref> Several other allies of al-Bashir are being held at the prison as well. The reports of al-Bashir's transfer were later confirmed to Al Jazeera by a prison guard. Military council spokesman Shams Eldin Kabashi added that two of al-Bashir's brothers, Abdullah al-Bashir and Alabas al-Bashir, were arrested as well.

On 5 November 2019, the Forces of Freedom and Change alliance (FFC), which holds indirect political power during the 39-month Sudanese transition to democracy, stated that it had reached a consensus decision in favour of transferring al-Bashir to the ICC after the completion of his corruption and money laundering trial. In the following days, Sudanese transition period Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and Sovereignty Council member Siddiq Tawer stated that al-Bashir would be transferred to the ICC. 

On 14 December 2019, he was convicted for money laundering and corruption. He was sentenced to two years in prison.<ref>[https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/12/14/sudans-omar-al-bashir-sentenced-to-two-years-for-corruption Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir sentenced to two years for corruption], ''Al Jazeera''</ref> On 21 July 2020, his trial regarding the coup that brought him to power started. About 20 military personnel were indicted for their roles in the coup.

On 11 February 2020, Sudan's ruling military council agreed to hand over the ousted al-Bashir to the ICC in The Hague to face charges of crimes against humanity in Darfur.<ref>[https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/12/sudan-omar-al-bashir-icc-war-crimes-darfur Sudan says will ‘hand over’ al-Bashir to ICC for war crimes trial], ''Al Jazeera''</ref>

On 21 September 2021, the government in Sudan accused loyalists of Bashir of a thwarted attempted coup d'état. Sources close to the government said that the instigators were arrested and were being interrogated.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/measures-being-taken-contain-failed-coup-attempt-sudan-official-source-2021-09-21/ Sudan says coup thwarted, accuses Bashir loyalists], ''Reuters''</ref>