Rapid Support Forces Detain Red Crescent Director in West Darfur

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia arrested Abu Bakr Sharif, director of the Sudanese Red Crescent Society in West Darfur, following a raid on his residence in Al-Geneina. Concerns have intensified over his fate, as no official information has been released regarding his place of detention.

According to informed sources, the arrest, which occurred two days ago, comes after the Rapid Support Forces militia accused Sharif of “non-cooperation” and submitting periodic reports to the society’s headquarters in Port Sudan, the temporary administrative capital. Sharif’s recent external movements also raised suspicions among local RSF authorities in Al-Geneina, whom they viewed as signs of direct coordination with official bodies in eastern Sudan.

Reports indicate that this escalation coincides with actions by the so-called “Tasis Government”, affiliated with the RSF militia, aimed at imposing a forced “restructuring” of the Red Crescent in areas under their control. Observers say Sharif’s refusal to comply with the new arrangements and his resistance to the politicization of humanitarian work are the primary reasons behind his enforced disappearance.