Sudan's feared former intelligence chief Salah Gosh 'flees to Egypt'

Protesters across the country have continuously called for the arrest of Salah Gosh, the former head of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), since former President Omar al-Bashir was toppled and reportedly arrested by a military junta.

Their wish almost came true last week when prosecutors demanded police arrest Gosh so he could be questioned over a bank account reportedly containing more than $1 billion, only accessible to the former security chief.

But when police arrived at his residence, "security guards charged by the NISS with protecting Gosh" prevented prosecutors and police from entering and threatened to shoot them, according to the secretariat of the public prosecution service club.

Gosh has been in Egypt for days, Arabi21 reported on Wednesday citing unnamed sources.

The allegation is the latest in a string of speculative reports claiming top regime figures may have fled to neighbouring Egypt.

Despite the two countries historically having a rocky relationship, Cairo served as a close ally to Bashir as Khartoum was rocked by protests.

When Bashir was overthrown by the military in mid-April, Egypt was among the first countries to offer its support to Sudan's new military rulers.

The only states to beat Egypt to the punch were the UAE and Saudi Arabia, which alongside their Egyptian ally have been accused of attempting to steer Sudan's uprising along the same path as Egypt, which has been under the rule of former general Abdel Fattah al-Sisi since 2013.

Anonymous sources told Arabi21 that the Sudanese military junta had clearly endeavoured to protect Gosh despite making concessions to protesters' demands in other areas.

The ruling generals refused to allow prosecutors to arrest Gosh, the same sources said.

The Arabic-language news outlet did not specify how Gosh had traveled to Egypt, but, if true, it is unlikely he could have done so without the awareness of the military or the NISS.

Gosh helmed the NISS until last month, stepping down shortly after Bashir was deposed.

Protesters say dissenters were regularly taken by the NISS under Gosh's control to "ghost houses" where they were tortured.

The intelligence services have also been accused by Sudanese activists and international human rights organisations of responding to the country's ongoing protests with live bullets, tear gas and violent beatings.