## **What is Omar al-Bashir’s Net Worth?**
Omar al-Bashir, the former President of Sudan, has a net worth of $1 billion. He held the position of President from October 1993 until April 2019, when he was deposed in a coup d’état. Al-Bashir’s rise to power began when he led a group of officers in a military coup in 1989, ousting Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi. Throughout his tenure as President, al-Bashir faced scrutiny over allegations of corruption and human rights abuses, including being the first sitting President to be indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Despite these controversies, he amassed a significant fortune during his time in office.
## **Early Life and Background**
Omar al-Bashir was born on January 1, 1944, in Hosh Bannaga, a small village near Shendi, Sudan. He comes from an African-Arab family, with his mother named Hedieh Mohamed al-Zain and his father named Hassan ibn Ahmed, who worked as a dairy farmer. Al-Bashir’s uncle, Al Taib Mustafa, was a journalist and politician who opposed South Sudan.
During his secondary school years, al-Bashir’s family moved to Khartoum North. It was during this time that he became a supporter of Al-Hilal, a popular Sudanese football club. In 1975, he was sent to the United Arab Emirates as part of a Sudanese military attaché and later became a garrison commander upon his return.
## **Rise to Power**
In 1989, Omar al-Bashir led a group of army officers in a bloodless military coup that removed the unstable coalition government led by Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi. After the coup, al-Bashir imposed the Islamic military code nationwide and suspended all political parties. He assumed various positions of power, including chief of state, prime minister, chief of the armed forces, and Minister of Defense. In 1993, he appointed himself President of Sudan and disbanded any rival factions or parties that had emerged since the coup.
## **Time in Office**
In 1996, Omar al-Bashir was elected President for a five-year term, running unopposed as the only candidate allowed by law. During his presidency, he faced challenges, including the rise of Hassan al-Turabi, who was elected as speaker of the National Assembly. However, al-Bashir managed to remove al-Turabi in 1999 during a palace coup.
In 2000, al-Bashir was reelected through a popular vote for another five-year term. He won the 2005 election as well, during which a transitional government was established under a peace agreement that ended a conflict between the north and the south. Additionally, al-Bashir’s National Congress Party faced competition from the newly formed SPLM party.
In 2010, al-Bashir was reelected as President in the first multi-party election in years. The election, however, was marred by corruption and inequality, drawing criticism for not meeting international fair election standards. Despite these concerns, al-Bashir remained in power.
During his years in office, Sudan experienced economic growth due to oil drilling and extraction. However, chronic inflation led to cost of living riots and anti-government demonstrations, particularly from the Sudanese Workers’ Trade Union Federation.
## **International Issues and Allegations**
Omar al-Bashir faced numerous international issues during his presidency, including allegations of war crimes and human rights abuses. One of the most significant controversies involved his role in the war in Darfur, where he was accused of suppressing the region’s non-Arab population and engaging in ethnic cleansing. The number of deaths in Darfur remains disputed, with Sudanese government estimates around 10,000 and UN estimates around 300,000 as of 2010. The situation in Darfur has been officially recognized as genocide by the United States government.
Al-Bashir’s leadership also prolonged and worsened the civil war in Sudan that was ongoing when he took office. He has been accused of looting the country’s wealth and funneling it into various international banks.
## **Ouster and ICC Indictment**
In April 2019, Omar al-Bashir was ousted from power by the Sudanese Armed Forces after several decades in office. He was placed under house arrest, and all his ministers were also arrested. This led to the dissolution of the National Legislature and the formation of a Transitional Military Council.
Al-Bashir was subsequently moved to Kobar Prison, where he faced trial for money laundering and corruption. After his trial, the acting Sudanese military government agreed to transfer him to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC had charged al-Bashir with genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in Darfur since 2008. However, jurisdictional challenges hindered his prosecution. Many countries, including China and Saudi Arabia, refused to arrest him based on the ICC’s warrant. It was only after his arrest and ousting in 2019 that the charges gained international attention and support.
## **WikiLeaks Wealth Claims**
In 2009, a WikiLeaks cable suggested that Omar al-Bashir had stashed $9 billion in foreign bank accounts. The cable referenced a prosecutor named Luis Moreno-Ocampo, who claimed that significant amounts of siphoned oil funds were present in London banks. These claims of wealth accumulation have been denied by al-Bashir and his representatives.
While the exact details of Omar al-Bashir’s net worth may be uncertain, it is evident that he acquired substantial wealth during his time in power. His net worth of $1 billion reflects his controversial tenure as President of Sudan, marked by allegations of corruption, human rights abuses, and involvement in international conflicts.
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