The head of the judiciary in Sudan’s TASIS government visited Kober Prison in Nyala, pledging steps to accelerate court procedures and review the cases of some prisoners, in the latest sign of efforts to build civilian institutions in areas outside the control of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s SAF.
Radio Dabanga reported that the judiciary chief inspected the prison in South Darfur’s capital and said work was under way to speed up litigation procedures and release some convicted prisoners.
The visit comes as the Sudan Founding Alliance, known as TASIS, seeks to expand the functions of its Transitional Peace Government beyond political declarations and battlefield administration. In recent days, TASIS officials have also overseen the launch of Sudanese certificate exams in Darfur and Kordofan, presenting the move as part of a broader effort to restore public services for communities cut off from Port Sudan’s institutions.
Nyala has increasingly become a centre for TASIS-linked administrative activity, with officials framing the city as a base for rebuilding governance in areas affected by war, displacement and the collapse of state services.
The judiciary visit is significant because it shifts attention from education and political representation to the justice system, an area that has been severely disrupted by Sudan’s conflict. Courts, prisons and prosecution offices across the country have been affected by fighting, institutional fragmentation and the breakdown of normal procedures.
For TASIS, the move offers an opportunity to argue that its authority is not limited to military control, but includes attempts to reopen administrative and legal channels for civilians. The pledge to accelerate court procedures also touches on a sensitive issue in wartime Sudan: the fate of detainees, prisoners and people caught in legal limbo as state institutions split between rival centres of power.
The development is likely to draw scrutiny from opponents of TASIS, who reject the alliance’s claim to governmental authority. But it also highlights a broader reality created by the war: millions of Sudanese now live in areas where access to courts, schools, local administration and basic services depends on authorities operating outside Port Sudan’s reach.
TASIS officials have repeatedly accused the Port Sudan authorities of using state institutions as tools of exclusion, particularly against communities in RSF-held areas. The launch of exams in Nyala and other centres was presented in that context, after students in parts of Darfur and Kordofan were unable to access the SAF-backed examination system.
The visit to Kober Prison therefore adds another layer to the emerging governance contest between Nyala and Port Sudan. While General al-Burhan’s SAF continues to describe TASIS as a political cover for the Rapid Support Forces, the alliance is trying to show that it can operate ministries, courts and public services in areas under its influence.
