Kobar Prison

Kobar Prison
سجن كوبر
Map
LocationKhartoum North, Sudan
StatusOperational
Security classSupermax, Maximum Security, General
Opened1903
Managed byMinistry of Interior

Kobar Prison (Arabic: سجن كوبر), formerly known as Cooper prison, is one of the oldest prisons in Sudan, dating back to 1903.[1] It was built by the administration of the former Anglo-Egyptian Sudan (1899–1956) and was named 'Kobar' in Arabic after the British official Cooper, who was in charge of the prison’s early administration.[2]

Since its establishment, it has been Sudan's most notorious prison. It consists of six sections, and it was infamous for being the detention center for thousands of prisoners of conscience and politicians. In 2019, former President Omar al-Bashir was taken to this prison after having been overthrown in a coup d'etat.[3][4] In April 2023, during the 2023 Sudan conflict, a series of mass escapes occurred at many Sudanese prisons, including Kobar prison.[5]

  1. ^ "لماذا كوبر؟ - أخبار السعودية | صحيفة عكاظ". www.okaz.com.sa. 18 April 2019. Archived from the original on 8 December 2019.
  2. ^ "Al-Bashir and Senior Leaders of the Former Regime Transferred to Cooper Prison in Khartoum". Gulf Times. 18 April 2019.
  3. ^ "Toppled Bashir moved from residence to Khartoum's Kobar prison: relatives". Reuters. 17 April 2019.
  4. ^ "قصة وتاريخ سجن كوبر بالسودان.. لماذا أودع به البشير؟". www.alarabiya.net. 17 April 2019.
  5. ^ "Inmates break out of Khartoum's Kobar prison". Al Jazeera. 23 April 2023. Archived from the original on 23 April 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2023.