General al-Burhan’s army (SAF) and allied Islamist militias continue to commit widespread atrocities against civilians in areas under their control, according to local sources and human rights organizations.
More than 1,400 civilians—including women, children, and doctors—are being detained by the SAF and Islamist-affiliated forces in the central city of Wad Madani, facing dire conditions of starvation, thirst, and torture, according to reports obtained by Sudanese outlet Duroob.
The detainees, accused of collaborating with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), were arrested after the SAF recaptured Wad Madani and other parts of Al-Jazira state in January.
Witnesses and rights groups report that prisoners are subjected to severe mistreatment, including deliberate food and water deprivation, with at least three deaths recorded due to inhumane conditions.
Detainees reportedly receive only two cups of water per day and minimal food. Access to restrooms is denied, forcing prisoners to relieve themselves inside overcrowded cells, creating unsanitary and degrading conditions.
The detentions are reportedly overseen by three main entities—the “Joint Cell,” the “Security Cell,” and Sudan’s General Intelligence Service—alongside Islamist militias. Arbitrary arrests have swept through residential areas and markets, filling detention centers in Wad Madani, Al-Hasahisa, and Al-Faw, where detainees endure harsh conditions.
Sources indicate that approximately 90% of those detained in Wad Madani Prison are local residents, including volunteers, female workers, and medical personnel who remained in the city during the RSF’s occupation.
Among them are more than 100 women, including pregnant detainees and mothers nursing infants, as well as nearly 300 minors under the age of 18. Nineteen detainees reportedly suffer from untreated wounds and fractures sustained during their arrests.
Families of the detainees are barred from visiting or delivering food and water, exacerbating cases of malnutrition and illness.
The SAF regained control of Wad Madani in January, with rights groups documenting a wave of alleged abuses, including summary executions, forced disappearances, and bodies being dumped into the Nile River.
This week, Human Rights Watch reported that “Sudan Shield Forces,” a militia aligned with the army, committed war crimes in Al-Jazira state, including killing civilians, burning homes, and looting properties.
Sudan has been mired in conflict since April 2023, when tensions between the army and the RSF erupted into full-scale war, plunging the country into a humanitarian crisis.
