In light of the continuing fighting in Sudan and the indiscriminate fall of shells, Kober prison has been subjected to several attacks over the past days, and the latest attack caused the death of 5 prisoners and the escape of a large number of inmates.

Kober prison houses a number of leaders of the former regime, led by ousted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and his deputy Ali Osman Taha.

In turn, the Rapid Support Forces accused the Sudanese army of evacuating the prison, saying that "the coup leaders carried out a forced evacuation of all prisoners in Kober prison, which includes all the leaders of the former regime."

In a statement, the Rapid Support Forces condemned this act, "which contradicts all local, regional and international laws."

On the fact that deposed President Omar al-Bashir escaped from prison, a source in the Sudanese Ministry of Interior told Al Jazeera that the number of inmates escaping from Kober prison is in the hundreds, including prisoners sentenced to death, stressing that political prisoners were not part of the group that escaped, and that they were transferred to a safe place.

Different opinions

The "Shabakat" program (2023/4/24) followed the Sudanese comments on the escape of Kober prison inmates, and differed in the nature of the reasons and goals, as activist Ahmed Ali wrote in a tweet: "The escape of Kober prisoners is not the result of the storming of soldiers or any other force. The troops guarding the prison lost supplies, food and medicine and withdrew. It is very natural for them to have two options, to escape from prison or to stay inside it waiting for them to die of hunger, neglect and thirst."

While the tweeter Mahfouz Ahmed saw that the current clashes are more dangerous than the symbols of the former regime and said: "Strange ...!! War leaders who fight and kill their people and burn their country for power, keep the prisoners of the former regime...!! "Burhan and Hemedti are more dangerous to Sudan now than the symbols of the former regime."

For her part, activist Wajd considered that the hidden reason behind these clashes is the smuggling of symbols of the former regime from prison, writing: "The story is clear, starting from Al-Huda prison, passing through Soba and finally Kober. Why do you think (why)? And this war (this) took place why? (Why did she rise?).. Certainly, because Omar al-Bashir and his aides will come out (to get out), and the hanger is war."

For his part, activist Ahmed said that prisoners must be released before they die because of indiscriminate shells, saying: "As long as Khartoum has become a war zone and no one can secure prisoners inside their prisons, releasing them is a sacred national duty so that they do not die inside their prisons because of the shells."

Samir commented: "May God help the overpowering people in Sudan, war, chaos, prison break-ins, lawlessness and no one is safe in need."

Sudanese accounts published a video documenting the release of prisoners from Soba Correctional Prison, south of Khartoum, on Saturday. In Omdurman, a video documented the presence of dozens of female inmates in the women's prison in the street, after they were released from prison after a shell fell on it.

It is noteworthy that Kober prison is one of the largest and oldest prisons in the capital, Khartoum, and was named after the English General Cooper, who took over the functions of his administration during the occupation period. It is the country's central prison, located in the city of Bahri in the Kobar neighborhood near the Blue Nile.

The prison covers an area of 5,14 square meters and is designed in a geometric shape that simulates British prisons. The prison has <> sections, including one for those convicted of death sentences, a second for those with a criminal record, a third for those with long and short sentences, and a fourth for political detainees.