Khartoum, November 11 (Darfur24)
Families in El Fasher, North Darfur, say they are still unaware of the whereabouts of their relatives who were abducted in October by armed groups allied with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), despite having paid large ransom amounts in several cases.
Residents told Darfur24 on Monday that since the RSF took control of the city, kidnappings have become increasingly common, with abductors demanding payments in exchange for the release of detainees. However, some families report that communication with the kidnappers was cut off after payments were made, leaving them without information on the fate of their relatives.
Ishaq Mohamed Ibrahim said his family paid four million Sudanese pounds in ransom to secure the release of his nephew. The kidnappers initially demanded ten million pounds before negotiations. He explained that the abductors had promised to hand over his nephew in Kabkabiya, about 155 kilometers west of El Fasher, but no further contact was made after the money was transferred.
“They took the money and disappeared. We do not know if he is alive or dead,” Ibrahim said.
She noted that several families who managed to pay ransoms have still not received their relatives, stressing that the amounts demanded are far higher than most families can afford in the current economic crisis.
Legal expert Mohamed Abdullah said ransom-related abduction cases have increased significantly since the RSF’s takeover of El Fasher. He explained that the kidnappers often pressure families multiple times for additional payments, and in some cases, victims are later handed over to RSF forces or killed without being released.
“Families receive calls from the phones of their kidnapped relatives, and once the money is transferred, the phones are switched off and all communication stops,” Abdullah said.
Darfur24 has documented at least six ransom payment cases in areas surrounding El Fasher, including Korma, Qarni, Donki Shata, Um Marahik, Tura, and Qoz Bina. Ransom amounts ranged between one and ten million Sudanese pounds, transferred via banking applications. Families received voice messages and video recordings showing their relatives pleading for help.
A recent statement by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) cited survivors saying kidnappers separated detainees by gender, age, and perceived ethnicity, and demanded ransoms ranging from five to thirty million pounds. One survivor said he paid 24 million pounds to secure his release.