The Civil Society Initiative in the Blue Nile region has condemned arbitrary arrests targeting civilians on suspicion of family or tribal links to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) or the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) led by Abdelaziz El Hilu.
Ali Hajo, the initiative’s secretary-general, told Radio Dabanga that security forces had arrested Elrih Younis Babiker, Elbagir Elamin Saad and Jabara Abdallah in El Roseires and taken them to an unknown location while blindfolded. He said there were reports that the detainees had been tortured.
Hajo said arrests had affected civilians across Blue Nile, particularly in Ed Damazin, El Roseires locality, Wad El Mahi and Geisan locality, with families often unaware of their relatives’ whereabouts. He said some detainees had been held for one to two years without investigation or charge.
The initiative warned that arbitrary arrests, alleged torture and enforced disappearances threaten peace, deepen grievances and undermine social cohesion. It called on the authorities to disclose the whereabouts of detainees, release those held without legal grounds or bring them before a court and allow families and lawyers access to them.
It also urged human rights organisations, the United Nations and international bodies to investigate alleged violations and help protect civilians.
Hajo warned that the security and humanitarian situation in Blue Nile was deteriorating, with displaced people facing dire conditions and drone attacks reportedly targeting civilian areas, including homes.
The initiative called for an immediate end to arbitrary arrests and urged the authorities to uphold the rule of law and protect civilians regardless of their identity or family ties.
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