Sudan's Omar al-Bashir in key dates

Bashir is removed from office by military and detained

PARIS: Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, ousted by the army on Thursday after months of anti-government protests, ruled with an iron fist since seizing power in a 1989 coup.

Here are key dates in his life and career.

- January 1, 1944: Bashir is born to a rural family in the village of Hosh Bannaga, 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of the capital Khartoum.

- 1973: A soldier from a young age, he fights alongside the Egyptian army in the 1974 Arab-Israeli war.

Revolutionary Council ruler and military coup leader General Omar Al-Bashir (C) greets other Revolutionary Council military officers during a graduation ceremony at the Sudanese Military Academy in the capital Khartoum. PHOTO: AFP

- June 30, 1989: As brigade commander and with the backing of hardliners, he seizes power in a coup against the democratically elected government.

- 2003: He sends troops and militiamen to crush a rebellion in the western region of Darfur. The conflict claims more than 300,000 lives, according to the UN.

 

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir gestures during a peace ceremony at John Garang Mausoleum in Juba, South Sudan. PHOTO: AFP

- 2010: He is elected president in the first multiparty election since he took power, which is boycotted by the opposition. He is re-elected in 2015.

- 2009: The International Criminal Court issues a warrant for Bashir's arrest on war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. The following year it issues a warrant for genocide. He denies the charges.

Sudanese demonstrators gather in a street in central Khartoum. PHOTO: AFP

- 2013: Demonstrations against his government erupt after a hike in petrol prices. Officials say dozens are killed in related violence.

- December 2018: Protests begin in several towns after bread prices triple, snowballing into rolling nationwide rallies demanding he step down.

- April 11, 2019: Bashir is removed from office by the military and detained.