Arrests, Executions, and Violations… What Is Happening Inside Sudanese Army Prisons

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The complexities surrounding the issue of collaborators with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have intensified following the liberation of Al-Jazirah State. The Sudanese army and its allied forces have been accused of committing retaliatory massacres and widespread human rights violations against specific ethnic groups under the pretext of suspected collaboration. This prompted the Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Army, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, to establish an investigative committee, the findings of which have not yet been announced.

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Human rights organizations accuse official security agencies of continuing to carry out arrests based on ethnic profiling, under allegations of collaboration with the RSF. Additionally, some human rights activists have reportedly been detained, according to The Independent Arabic network.

The Darfur Bar Association stated that authorities had arrested hundreds of young people in cities such as Port Sudan and Atbara. They were stopped on public roads and in commercial establishments and subsequently detained in facilities in northern and eastern Sudan. Some of them have been charged with collaborating with the RSF, an offense that can carry the death penalty.

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Following the arrest of four doctors in Wad Madani, the capital of Al-Jazirah State, last week, the Preparatory Committee of the Sudanese Doctors’ Syndicate expressed concerns about the targeting of labor unions and civil organizations amid the ongoing war in the country.

In this context, the Sudanese Emergency Lawyers Committee confirmed that prisons in areas under army control are overcrowded with thousands of detainees. Many were arrested in safe areas or after being displaced there at the beginning of the conflict or in subsequent waves of displacement.

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Musab Sabahi, a member of the Executive Office and spokesperson for the committee, stated that all detainees were apprehended by a group known as the “Security Cell,” which includes military intelligence, general intelligence, and police forces. This group is dominated by figures affiliated with the Islamic Movement (the Muslim Brotherhood). Those arrested are sent to military-controlled prisons without access to due legal process.

Sabahi added that individuals accused of espionage or collaboration are detained without proper legal procedures and held for extended periods, sometimes exceeding a year.

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He continued: “Detainees are arbitrarily referred to prosecution and military courts in army-controlled areas, and many have already been sentenced to death. These trials are often politically motivated, with defendants being charged with crimes against the state. They are tried without legal representation and under procedures that lack legal safeguards, with prolonged periods of imprisonment.”

He further stated: “Unfortunately, most arrests in army-controlled areas are carried out based on incitement or, in many cases, on regional or tribal classifications rather than on concrete legal evidence. The detainees are not granted the legal protections necessary for fair investigations.”

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Sabahi also accused Sudan’s judiciary, the Ministry of Justice, and the Public Prosecution of lacking the independence required to conduct fair, transparent, and impartial trials. He asserted that the detainees had been arbitrarily arrested.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, expressed concern over reports of hostage-taking in conflict areas and the inability of civilians to leave war zones.

In a brief statement on her X (formerly Twitter) account, Salami called for allowing civilians to exit conflict areas and ensuring their safe passage to secure locations.

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On a related note, human rights activist and community advocate Ezzeldin Al-Ahimer reported that several independent human rights organizations have documented a significant increase in death sentences handed down against dozens of young men and women in recent months. Additionally, extrajudicial killings have also been reported.

Al-Ahimer urged the International Committee of the Red Cross to investigate the conditions of detainees accused of collaboration or espionage and to facilitate their release, whether they are held by the Sudanese army or the RSF.

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He added: “It is crucial to categorize detainees accused of espionage or collaboration with the RSF according to their roles. Apart from those actively engaged in combat, some are accused of participating in recruitment and mobilization efforts, providing moral or political support, or colluding with the enemy. It is essential to distinguish between individuals who have committed major crimes and violations against civilians and those who were coerced into cooperation or had no choice but to coexist under duress in RSF-controlled areas.”

Al-Ahimer emphasized the urgency of bringing detainees to fair trials to prevent prolonged detentions amid overcrowded prisons. He also stressed the importance of swiftly forming independent investigative committees to examine each case individually, ensuring that detainees—especially those who have not committed serious crimes—are given the opportunity to defend themselves.

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