Two dead in South Kordofan prison break bid

Two prisoners who were awaiting trial for murder died while attempting to escape from Kadugli prison in the capital of South Kordofan on Friday. Initial reports say that one of the inmates died of a head injury while the other fell to his death after climbing the prison wall. They have not been named.

In a statement following the incident, the Wali (governor) of South Kordofan, Hamid El Bashir, assured that calm has returned to the prison, after what he described as “a planned and coordinated attempt”.

Bashir confirmed that the prisoners had assistance from the outside. This involved unknown gunmen firing into the air outside the prison and in remote parts of the nearby market to create chaos. No prisoners actually escaped.

The Wali underscored that the prisoners concerned were accused of premeditated murder under Article 130 of Sudan’s penal code. “A group of young people attempted to assist each other, and there are no political dimensions,” he concluded.