Nyala, September 22 (Darfur24)
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) arrested three men in Mershing town, 85 kilometers north of Nyala, South Darfur, local sources said on Monday.
The detainees, identified as Abdullah Sandal, Mohamed Hussein Idris, and his father, are accused of involvement in the escape of a prisoner from Al-Malam. The father was later released, while the other two remain in custody.
A relative of one of the men, speaking to Darfur 24 on condition of anonymity, said the arrests took place last week at Mershing Market. The detainees were accused of helping smuggle a young man out of Al-Malam prison. While Mohamed Hussein Idris’s father was later released, the other two remain in custody.
The source explained that the case stems from an old complaint filed by shepherds against a man named Issam, accusing him of livestock theft nearly a decade ago. RSF intelligence arrested Issam two weeks ago, which reportedly triggered the latest detentions.
According to the source, mediation efforts to secure their release are underway, adding that “many of these arrests are driven by financial motives rather than justice.”
Residents of Mershing, Manawashi, and Al-Malam also told Darfur 24 that RSF-allied groups are carrying out kidnappings and reopening decades-old cases to justify arrests, often along tribal lines.