Omar al-Bashir
Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir (born 1 January 1944) is a Sudanese former military officer who seized power in an Islamist-backed military coup on 30 June 1989 and served as de facto head of state until formally assuming the presidency on 16 October 1993, ruling until his ouster on 11 April 2019.[1][2][3]
His three-decade tenure involved the implementation of strict Sharia law, hosting international terrorists including Osama bin Laden, prolonged civil wars that contributed to South Sudan's independence in 2011, and the Darfur conflict where government forces and allied militias were accused of systematic atrocities against non-Arab populations.[4]
In 2009 and 2010, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against al-Bashir for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Darfur, making him the first sitting head of state to face such charges, though Sudan rejected the court's jurisdiction and he evaded arrest until his removal.[3][1][5]
Amid economic collapse and mass protests, the Sudanese Armed Forces deposed him in 2019, leading to his imprisonment on charges of corruption and inciting violence, while ongoing domestic trials address the 1989 coup and other abuses.[6][7]