Ibrahim Ghandour, head of Sudan’s disbanded former ruling National Congress Party and a former foreign minister under deposed President Omar al-Bashir, was re-arrested on Monday less than a day after he had been released from jail, according to a source from his family.
The release of Ghandour and several other Bashir allies in recent days, following a military coup last week, had come under criticism from opponents of military rule.
Ghandour had previously been detained under orders of a taskforce intended to dismantle and prevent the return of Bashir’s three-decade rule, which ended in 2019.
He had been released on Sunday night, along with two former intelligence officials under Bashir. Two other Islamist Bashir allies, including businessman Abdelbasit Hamza, had also been released on Saturday, judiciary sources said.
Sudan’s public prosecutor was also dismissed Sunday night.
The government spokesman’s office, still aligned with civilian authorities who were removed last week, said in a statement that the releases of the Bashir-era figures “represent a setback against the state of institutions and the rule of law.”
“This step makes clear the political cover for the coup and its real ideological orientation,” the office said in a Facebook post.
A one-time powerful ally of Sudan’s ousted President Omar al-Bashir has been re-arrested was released from prison on Sunday by the military, which staged a coup last week.He had been freed along with two security officials who served under Bashir.
The move by the military to release the former president’s allies has been widely criticised.
The Information Ministry, which remains loyal to ousted Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, said it revealed the political motive of the coup.
Sudan’s military –led by generals who served in Bashir’s regime – took power a week ago, and have placed Mr Hamdok under house arrest.
Mr Hamdok took office after Bashir was overthrown in 2019. -Reuters
He led a civilian administration that was in an uneasy power-sharing government with the military until last week’s coup.
Mr Ghandour was arrested last year on suspicion of plotting to sabotage the Hamdok-led transitional government.
