The Sudan Founding Alliance (TASIS) has denied that a formal mechanism has been established with Sudan’s military for the exchange of prisoners, saying discussions led by UN envoy Pekka Haavisto have not progressed beyond preliminary contacts.
TASIS spokesperson Ahmed Tugod Lisan said the issue was raised during Haavisto’s recent communication with alliance leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, but no agreement or mechanism for exchanging detainees was reached.
Tugod said TASIS had asked Sudan’s military to first provide lists confirming the identities and status of prisoners it is holding before substantive discussions on an exchange could proceed.
The alliance has previously said it wants confirmation that detainees remain alive before entering any formal exchange process.
The comments clarify the status of an initiative pursued by Haavisto during recent consultations with the warring parties.
During a September visit to Khartoum, the UN envoy said he wanted to continue discussions aimed at exchanging prisoners of war and civilian detainees, working closely with the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Earlier talks between Haavisto and Dagalo also addressed the prisoner issue, with TASIS saying at the time that it had requested official lists of detainees held by Sudan’s military before moving forward with any exchange proposal.
TASIS also pointed to previous releases of prisoners by the Rapid Support Forces through the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Sudan’s war, which began in April 2023, has produced large numbers of prisoners, detainees and missing people, while humanitarian organisations and international mediators have repeatedly pushed the parties to guarantee humane treatment and facilitate releases.
