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Jailed Bashir, allies get treated for coronavirus - govt

Friday May 29 2020
jail

Three ex-Sudanese ministers have tested positive for coronavirus in jail. FILE PHOTO

By MAWAHIB ABDALLATIF

Members of former Sudan regime that was headed by Omar al-Bashir who were kept in the central jail in "Kober" are being treated for Covid-19, Sudanese Public Prosecutor said Wednesday.

Also affected is former President Omar al-Bashir, who is in quarantine in a "safe place" under police escort, after they were suspected of being infected with the virus. Although his test earlier was "negative," he is still in quarantine, in implementation of the health protocol.

Those in Kober and on treatment are Ahmed Haron, former minister of state for humanitarian affairs and governor of North Kordufan; Abdelrahim Hussein, former minister of interior, defence, and governor of Khartoum; and Ali Osman Taha, former foreign affairs minister and first vice-president.

The prosecution said all personalities of the previous regime in jail receive healthcare according to the protocols, adding that the Public Prosecution works in co-ordination with the police and the General Administration of Civil Defense to sterilise its offices and prisons periodically.

Mr al-Bashir was ousted in a popular revolution in April 2019, and was convicted of corruption and currency violations, and sentenced to two years in a `` reformatory '' designed for older prisoners.

He is still being held in Kober jail in Khartoum, awaiting for trial on other charges related to the killing of demonstrators and has also been charged with abuse of power and corruption.

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On March 31, the Public Prosecutor accused Mr al-Bashir, several of his senior military aides, and a number of Islamist leaders of undermining the constitutional order for more than 30 years.

At the same time, the Sudanese engineer, Najwa Qadah Al-Dam died from Covid-19.

The EastAfrican learned that Najwa Qadah Al-Dam died on Wednesday at an army hospital of the Sudanese Army, where he had been transferred to two days ago, after the infection was confirmed.

Najwa Qadah Al-Dam played mysterious roles in Sudanese and regional politics, and consulted for Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, and reconciled the two presidents, and ended the undeclared boycott between the two countries.

She was also involved in the meeting between Museveni, Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Sudan's General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan in Entebbe.

On Thursday, Sudanese Health ministry announced 200 new cases of Covid-19, and 11 deaths, including six in Khartoum. This brings the total number of infections since the beginning of the pandemic to 4,346 since the outbreak began in Sudan in early March, including 195 deaths, the recovered total number 749.

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