Hundreds Arrested: Widespread Detention Campaign Turns Darfur into a Nightmare

Suddenly, news spread of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) arresting one of their own leaders and former military officer, Issam Fadiel, over suspicions of communication with parties linked to the Sudanese army.

Fadiel’s arrest came after Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) warplanes carried out a successful airstrike on RSF targets east of Nyala Airport, destroying ammunition depots and drones. Typically, after such successful strikes, the RSF launches arrest campaigns and phone searches targeting both its own members and several civilians in Nyala, accusing them of betrayal.

Multiple sources revealed that this latest wave of arrests specifically targeted RSF-aligned members from the army and police, non-Arab tribal affiliates, and a large number of civilians.

Nyala’s Nightmare
These campaigns of suspicion and accusations have turned the city of Nyala into a nightmare, where everyone suspects everyone. Civilians and RSF members are arrested for mere suspicion or for something as trivial as looking twice at RSF vehicles roaming the streets hysterically. Phone searches and house raids by RSF members close to the Dagalo family have become common events in a landscape dominated by rampant paranoia. These raids usually end in arrests and enforced disappearances affecting hundreds of civilians and RSF elements who have fallen out of favor with the ruling family.

Sources report that due to the oppressive atmosphere, many Nyala residents have stopped carrying phones when leaving their homes, and some are seriously considering fleeing the city to avoid becoming victims of paranoid security sweeps carried out by terrified RSF members acting on fear and speculation that only seems to grow.

Al-Du’ayn in the Picture
The RSF’s frenzied arrest campaign has extended to Al-Du’ayn, but under a different guise—forced recruitment. According to a statement by the Sudanese Doctors Network, the RSF arrested 178 people in the city of Al-Du’ayn in East Darfur, including medical personnel, as part of a campaign to forcibly recruit civilians into their ranks.

The network said detainees were given two options: fight alongside the RSF or pay a ransom for their release after refusing to join the fight. Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) also expressed regret over the arrest of nurse Hamdan Abdullah Musa, who was detained and whose family was told to either pay a ransom or see him forced into combat.

Forced Recruitment Across Darfur
Compared to Nyala, other Darfur cities have been relatively fortunate, with RSF campaigns focused mostly on forced recruitment. Detainees are usually released upon payment of a ransom, unlike those in Nyala who are arrested on charges of treason and subjected to secret detentions.

Local sources say these forced recruitment campaigns across Darfur have sparked widespread resentment among civilians, who are now pinning their hopes on the arrival of the national army to liberate them from this nightmare.

It appears RSF leaders are continuing their aggressive campaign against what they label “traitors,” raising concerns that the group might attempt to empty Nyala of its population. These fears intensified after the head of the so-called Civil Administration in South Darfur announced plans to relocate displaced people from Nyala to areas like Manwashi and Kilometer 14. This decision angered many RSF members, as those being relocated are often families of RSF fighters.

The coming days are expected to be increasingly harsh for Nyala residents and RSF collaborators. RSF spokesperson Fath Al-Qureshi issued a warning to Darfur residents, stating that collaborators leaking RSF plans to the Sudanese army would be prosecuted under military law.

During his speech at a tribal leadership forum broadcast by the Civil Administration platform in East Darfur, Qureshi claimed the state had become a safe haven for refugees and displaced persons and enjoys stability—thus leaving no room for leniency with what he called “traitors.”

Settling Scores
According to informed sources, the RSF’s frenzied campaigns have evolved into a mechanism for internal score-settling. Anyone seeking to eliminate a rival now simply accuses them of espionage, leading to immediate execution or imprisonment in inhumane conditions until they disappear entirely. It’s a fate reportedly awaiting anyone outside the Dagalo family or the highly trusted Arab tribes, as classified by RSF leadership.

Experts warn that the RSF’s growing paranoia, as it increasingly distrusts everyone, could lead to its collapse and fragmentation into rival criminal gangs that will eventually turn on each other.

Source: Asda’ Sudania