Security forces operating in Sudanese army-controlled Gedaref have detained at least four civilian activists and reportedly arrested around 15 minors following protests against rising prices and deteriorating living conditions, according to a Sudanese human rights organisation.
The Darfur Victims Support Organization said the arrests took place between September 20 and 24, following peaceful demonstrations in Gedaref city, particularly in the Al-Tadamon neighbourhood.
The protests erupted over soaring food prices, declining purchasing power and worsening economic conditions, with demonstrators demanding action to address the growing cost-of-living crisis.
In its report, the organisation said the security campaign targeted individuals involved in civil society, voluntary and humanitarian activities.
It verified the identities of four adult detainees: Mohamed Al-Badawi, 34, a member of the Gedaref Resistance Committees; Salem Al-Salmi, 30, a volunteer and resistance committee member; Abdel Moneim Omar, 43, a humanitarian activist; and Ahmed Ibrahim, 75, a retired professor.
The organisation also received reports that approximately 15 minors had been detained in Al-Tadamon, Al-Jenaina, Imtidad October and Abkar Jibril neighbourhoods.
Detainees held at security facility
According to the rights group, several detainees were transferred to a security cell facility in Gedaref’s Popular Market area, near the livestock market.
The building, previously used as a school and boarding facility, has reportedly been used for detention and interrogation over the past two years.
Families of detainees said they had been prevented from visiting their relatives or obtaining adequate information about their condition.
The organisation said it could not establish whether all those arrested had been brought before prosecutors or informed of the legal basis for their detention.
It also reported receiving information alleging that the security cell’s leadership includes individuals linked to Sudan’s Islamist movement, the former ruling National Congress Party and the General Intelligence Service. Those alleged affiliations have not been independently established.
Concerns over army-aligned security forces
The latest arrests come amid longstanding concerns over security agencies operating in territory controlled by Sudan’s military.
Human Rights Watch reported in April that military-affiliated security forces had carried out arbitrary arrests and detentions in army-controlled areas, including Gedaref.
The organisation documented cases involving security cells, military intelligence and other security personnel, including a previous case in Gedaref in which a humanitarian worker said he was detained for 55 days and tortured.
Human Rights Watch said security cells operating in army-controlled territory had held detainees in unofficial facilities, sometimes without effective judicial oversight.
The Darfur Victims Support Organization called on the army-aligned authorities in Gedaref to immediately disclose the whereabouts of all detainees and provide access to their families and lawyers.
It demanded the release of anyone held solely for exercising their right to peaceful assembly and expression, with particular attention to the safety of detained children.
The organisation also called for an independent investigation into the arrests, raids and detention conditions.
It urged the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the UN fact-finding mission for Sudan and the UN human rights office to urgently investigate the reported violations and press for the protection of detainees.
