Sudan Doctors Network: RSF Detains Dozens of Professional Workers in El Geneina

The Sudan Doctors Network expressed deep concern over reports that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continue to detain dozens of professional workers in El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur State, under conditions that raise serious concerns about their safety and humanitarian situation.

According to information received by the network, the detainees include 47 medical personnel, in addition to 88 teachers and university professors, who are being held in several detention facilities across El Geneina. These include Ardamata Prison, the headquarters of the 15th Infantry Division, and the former headquarters of the United Nations–African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).

In a statement, the network said that detaining healthcare workers deprives thousands of civilians of essential medical services they urgently need, particularly amid the severe deterioration of the healthcare sector and the shortage of qualified personnel in conflict-affected areas.

The statement stressed that doctors and healthcare workers enjoy special protection under humanitarian principles and international humanitarian law, and that any measures taken against them must be based on clear legal grounds that safeguard their rights, safety, and human dignity.

The network called on the RSF to disclose the whereabouts of the detainees, allow them to communicate with their families, ensure they receive the necessary healthcare, and release all those who have not been charged with legally recognized offences or brought before fair judicial proceedings.

It also urged relevant international human rights organizations, the United Nations, and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to monitor the conditions of the detainees and exert pressure to ensure their safety and respect for their fundamental rights.