The Civil Society Initiative in Sudan's Blue Nile state has expressed concern over the increasing number of complaints from civilians regarding harassment and unlawful detention by security authorities in the city of Damazin. According to the initiative's Secretary-General, Ali Hajo, the security cell is carrying out arrests of civilians on charges of market manipulation, which is a matter for the police, not the security cell.
Hajo stated that some detainees have been held for over three years without trial, including a pharmacist named Tahir al-Nur Salem, who was detained by the security cell for allegedly manipulating drug prices. The initiative also reported that some detainees are being held in cells belonging to the military intelligence of the 4th Infantry Division, and that they are being denied the right to communicate with their families.
The initiative has also documented cases of civilians being detained on charges of "cooperation" with armed groups, a charge that Hajo described as vague and used as a pretext to silence civil society activists and volunteers. He emphasized that the initiative is not biased towards any party to the conflict, but rather stands with the Sudanese people, and that they will continue to denounce and condemn any form of detention or harassment.
The initiative's concerns are shared by many civilians in Blue Nile state, who are facing increasing harassment and detention by security authorities. The state's security situation has been fragile since the outbreak of conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023. The initiative has called for the authorities to respect the law and the rights of civilians, and to ensure that any detention is carried out in accordance with the law.
The initiative has also expressed concern over the use of emergency laws to silence critics and restrict freedoms. Hajo stated that the emergency laws are being used to target civil society activists and volunteers, and that they are being used to suppress dissent and criticism. The initiative has called for the authorities to respect the rights of civilians to freedom of expression and assembly.
The situation in Blue Nile state is being closely monitored by human rights organizations, which have expressed concern over the increasing number of reports of human rights abuses. The United Nations and other international organizations have called on the Sudanese authorities to respect the rights of civilians and to ensure that any detention is carried out in accordance with the law.
The Civil Society Initiative in Blue Nile state has vowed to continue monitoring the situation and documenting any human rights abuses. The initiative has also called on the international community to put pressure on the Sudanese authorities to respect the rights of civilians and to ensure that those responsible for human rights abuses are held accountable.
Key points
- The initiative reports that some detainees have been held for over three years without trial.
- The initiative has documented cases of civilians being detained on charges of "cooperation" with armed groups.
- The initiative has called for the authorities to respect the law and the rights of civilians.
