Omar al-Bashir
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir looks on at a session ahead of the 25th African Union summit in Johannesburg, June 14, 2015. Reuters

Update (12:05 p.m. ET): A plane carrying Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has arrived in the Sudan’s capital city of Khartoum, according to a report. Al-Bashir greeted a crowd of reporters as he stepped off the plane, hours after he fled South Africa before its High Court could order his arrest on international war crimes.

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South Africa’s High Court has reportedly ordered the arrest of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Monday, shortly after he apparently fled the country to avoid prosecution on international war crimes charges. Sudanese and South African government officials confirmed al-Bashir exited the country in defiance of a judge’s order that he remain in South Africa until local authorities determined whether to extradite him to the International Criminal Court to face charges of crimes against humanity and genocide.

South Africa’s “State Security Minister says the circumstances of departure will be fully investigated,” government lawyer William Mokhari told South Africa’s Eyewitness News. Moreover, High Court Judge President Dustan Mlambo has asked South Africa’s government to provide an official explanation of how and why al-Bashir was permitted to leave the country.

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