Militia draws blood from detainees for wounded fighters; over 215 captives have died within two months

The Sudan Doctors Network announced on Wednesday that more than 215 civilian detainees had died at Dagrees Prison in South Darfur State, which is under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), due to the spread of diseases and epidemics in less than two months. The fate of 31 detainees, including children, remains unknown.

In a statement, the non-governmental medical network said it was following “with grave concern” the deteriorating humanitarian conditions inside Dagrees Prison.

It said information received from field sources indicated that the number of deaths among victims of the forced detention of civilians had risen to more than 215 during May and June.

The network added that the deaths resulted from “the spread of diseases and epidemics and the detainees’ exposure to torture and ill-treatment,” under detention conditions that lacked the most basic standards of healthcare and humanitarian protection.

It further stated that 31 detainees, including minors, had been transferred to Nyala Hospital more than two weeks ago without any known illnesses and that their fate remained unknown amid growing concerns for their lives and safety.

The network also referred to reports that the RSF had been drawing blood from detainees to treat those wounded in military operations.

It called for an immediate end to the forced detention of civilians, unrestricted access for humanitarian and medical organizations to detention sites, and disclosure of the fate of all detainees, particularly those who were transferred under mysterious circumstances from Dagrees Prison to Nyala Hospital and have not returned.