RSF Militia Detains 19,000 Prisoners in South Darfur

The Sudan Doctors Network has accused the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia of detaining over 19,000 individuals in Dagrais and Kober prisons, as well as other detention sites across South Darfur state.

According to the network, information from inside Nyala city indicates that the detainees include 4,270 affiliated with the police, 544 from the National Intelligence and Security Service, approximately 4,000 from the armed forces, 5,000 from Al-Fashir, and over 5,000 from various civil professions, political backgrounds, and the media.

Most of these detainees were arrested in Khartoum and Darfur, including 73 medical personnel.

The network added that detention conditions in these prisons and other sites in Nyala lack both humanitarian and legal standards, with prisoners being deprived of basic rights. It also reported that more than four deaths occur weekly due to medical neglect and deteriorating conditions, amid the spread of diseases caused by overcrowding, poor sanitation, and lack of medical care. Cholera has reportedly claimed the lives of detainees due to insufficient health services.

The Sudan Doctors Network called on international organizations to pressure RSF leadership to release the detainees, provide medical care, and halt arbitrary arrests.