The state of chaos and security deterioration accompanying the war in Sudan has led to a widespread surge in child abduction and trafficking. Organized networks have become increasingly active along border، posing a serious security threat and raising concerns about the expansion of these crimes, where children’s innocence is turned into a commodity in illicit markets.
Criminal groups have exploited the authorities’ preoccupation with the armed conflict and the lack of strict oversight, taking advantage of the current conditions to run these operations, despite significant crackdowns by various security agencies.
New Victims
In this context, a security cell in Kassala State, eastern Sudan, dismantled a child trafficking network and rescued more than seven victims in the Al-Hafayer area before they were smuggled to Egypt and Libya.
The acting governor of Kassala, Al-Sadiq Mohammed Al-Azraq, warned of the growing of child trafficking، urging parents to closely monitor their children, especially students who are absent from school.
He stressed the importance of continuing security campaigns to eliminate criminal activity and called on citizens to cooperate with authorities by reporting suspicious activities. He also emphasized the need to expedite trials for suspects to ensure justice.
Luring Children
The mother of one abducted child said she received a call from the school administration informing her that her son had not arrived, despite leaving home that morning with his school bag. She immediately reported the incident to security authorities, who tracked his phone and located him in the Al-Hafayer area of Kassala State.
She added that the security unit successfully apprehended the network and rescued the children, who were being prepared for trafficking to Libya and Egypt.
She also noted that one of the abducted children had transferred 400,000 Sudanese pounds (approximately $100) to members of the network, representing the “travel cost” to Libya. Traffickers reportedly lure children by promising attractive job opportunities abroad.
Disappearance Cases
Amid these developments, the Emergency Lawyers group called for investigations into the disappearance of dozens of children in the Red Sea, Gedaref, and River Nile states. The group documented 40 disappearance cases in September 2025, including 18 girls and 22 boys aged between 3 and 16.
The group highlighted a rise in child disappearance reports in Port Sudan and other areas, warning that this trend poses a serious threat to community safety and constitutes a grave crime under Sudanese law and international conventions.
They called for urgent investigations, accountability for those involved, and tighter security measures within neighborhoods and at city entry and exit points, including inspections of suspicious vehicles. The group noted it has received hundreds of complaints from families and citizens regarding missing children.
Available information suggests recurring patterns in targeting children amid insufficient security oversight, with possible involvement of criminal networks engaged in exploitation, human trafficking, or efforts to spread social.
The group warned that any negligence or silence in addressing these crimes could open the door to serious violations, including trafficking, forced recruitment, and exploitation.
Intensified Activity
In the same vein, child protection specialist Adel Omar told Mashawir that child abduction and trafficking operations have intensified significantly in recent times due to the war and fragility. Children are being lured near schools in relatively safe cities, while others are targeted during family displacement from conflict zones.
He explained that several factors contribute to the spread of this phenomenon, including chaos, state collapse, lack of oversight, and weakened family capacity to protect children—making them the most vulnerable group in a cycle of war and exploitation.
Omar added that the situation has grown increasingly complex. Nearly three years of ongoing conflict have created a wide security vacuum, enabling local and regional trafficking networks to operate with profit-driven motives. These networks exploit identity loss, family fragmentation, and lack of protection, targeting children as the most vulnerable group—for forced labor, recruitment as child soldiers, or trafficking along regional routes.
