Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
World
Asharq A-Awsat

Sudan: Bashir Admits Role in 1989 Coup During Trial

Omar al-Bashir is seen during one of his trial sessions. SUNA

Former Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir said on Tuesday that he took full responsibility for the events in 1989 that brought him to power, speaking at a trial in which he stands charged with leading a military coup.

Bashir has been jailed since army officers deposed him during an uprising in April 2019, ending his three-decade rule.

His legal team has dismissed as purely political the trial over the June 30, 1989 coup that overthrew the former elected government headed by Sadiq al-Mahdi.

"I assume all responsibility for what took place on June 30," Bashir told a court in Khartoum. "I've been following the prosecution's attempts to confirm this charge by presenting videos and witnesses, and I listen and enjoy it," he said before pausing to smile.

Bashir also said that civilians who took official positions after he and other officers toppled the government in 1989 were brought in to help Sudan through a difficult period, but had not planned or carried out the coup. "Our concern was not power but rather we needed capabilities and we opened dialogue with all the political forces," he said, according to comments reported by state news agency SUNA.

The trial began in 2020 and is expected to continue at least for several more months. Some defendants who were senior officials under Bashir have denied responsibility.

If convicted, Bashir could face a death sentence.

Bashir was convicted in another trial in December 2019 on illicit finance charges, and sentenced to two years in prison. He also faces prosecution over the killing of protesters.

Military leaders staged Sudan's latest coup in October 2021, ending a power-sharing arrangement agreed after Bashir's overthrow. This month the military signed an outline agreement with political parties to launch a new transition.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.