Daqris Prison in Nyala: From Secret Detention Sites to a “Market” for Human Trafficking

The “Emergency Lawyers” group has criticised the release of several civilian detainees from Daqris Prison in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur State, in exchange for money, describing the practice as a pattern of extortion and exploitation targeting the families of detainees.

The group said that some detainees managed to contact their families and request sums of money in return for their release, noting that those individuals had been arrested from areas under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia, either at present or during previous periods.

It added that the detainees spent long periods in what it described as harsh conditions, lacking the minimum humanitarian standards, considering this a serious violation of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

Human rights reports indicate a surge in widespread arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances across large parts of Darfur since the outbreak of the conflict in April 2023, amid reports that civilians are being held in deteriorating conditions, with limited legal oversight and restricted humanitarian access to detention facilities.

Daqris Prison, located about 25 kilometres west of Nyala, has turned into a site of terror, where the Rapid Support Forces militia has committed some of the harshest forms of abuse and extensive violations.

The rights group warned that linking release to the payment of ransom could amount to human trafficking and detention for profit, holding the RSF fully legally responsible for these violations, and stressing that any release does not waive the right to accountability.