The Popular Resistance in North Darfur State revealed on Sunday that more than 300 detainees have died inside Shala Prison in El Fasher over the past two months.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took control of El Fasher on October 26, after which they reportedly committed mass killings and acts of sexual violence, alongside a wide campaign of arrests. Some detainees were held in detention facilities inside the city, while others were transferred to Nyala in South Darfur.
In a statement, the Popular Resistance said it had “documented more than 300 deaths over the past two months inside Shala Prison due to the deterioration of health and humanitarian conditions.”
It noted that the RSF is holding more than 9,000 civilians at Shala Prison, located southwest of El Fasher.
According to the statement, most detainees are wounded civilians suffering from fractures and severe injuries caused by indiscriminate shelling of the city. They have received no medical care, leading to infected wounds and the spread of maggots.
The Popular Resistance accused the RSF of deliberately leaving the bodies of deceased detainees inside the prison alongside the living for extended periods, describing this as a flagrant violation of human dignity.
The statement also reported the outbreak of a cholera epidemic inside the prison, with between five and ten deaths recorded weekly due to the spread of the disease and the absence of preventive measures and treatment.
It further accused the RSF of continuing direct executions of civilians, stating that the group killed 15 wounded individuals last week inside Al-Rashid dormitory at El Fasher University after accusing them of belonging to the Joint Force.
The Popular Resistance called on the government to swiftly restore control over North Darfur State from the RSF, and urged international organizations to intervene urgently to save civilians and detainees in El Fasher from what it described as “a hell of violations” and daily crimes.
