Kampala, January 13 (Darfur24
Families in East Darfur State have reported the disappearance of their sons who were traveling to artisanal gold mining areas in Sudan’s Northern State, amid information indicating they were arrested, tried, and transferred to unknown locations by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Sources told Darfur24 that the RSF has launched arrest campaigns targeting young men traveling from western Sudan toward Al-Dabba, apparently to prevent movement from areas under its control to states held by the Sudanese army.
Mahmoud Hamed, a resident of East Darfur, said he lost contact with his 28-year-old son Mohammed in mid-December while he was heading to mining areas in the north. He told Darfur24 that Mohammed was among dozens of young men who chose to travel after livelihoods in Darfur became untenable due to the war.
Hamed said the last information he received came from a woman who traveled in the same convoy from Al-Daein, who reported that Mohammed and six others were arrested by RSF patrols north of Umm Badr in North Kordofan. They were allegedly tried and sentenced on accusations of intending to join army-affiliated fighting units.
Despite RSF travel restrictions, many youths from Darfur continue to risk the journey north in search of income. Families say those who reach army-controlled areas also face detention by security services, leaving young travelers caught between rival forces.
Hamed said he has spent more than twenty days searching for his son in RSF detention centers in Nyala after receiving information that detainees were transferred from Umm Badr to Daqris prison in South Darfur, without being able to confirm their whereabouts. He appealed for the release of the detained youths, citing the harsh economic conditions that forced them to travel.
In a similar case, Khadija Mohamed Abubakr from Al-Daein told Darfur24 that her 22-year-old son, Younis Hassan, was arrested by RSF forces upon entering Umm Badr while traveling to Al-Dabba to join his brother working in the mining sector.
Families such as Mahmoud’s and Khadija’s are among hundreds across Darfur who have sent their sons to mining areas due to war-driven hardship, only for many to disappear after RSF-imposed travel bans. Their fate remains unknown.
On December 20, travelers and drivers told Darfur24 that RSF forces detained hundreds of civilians in the Umm Badr area while traveling from Darfur. Families and sick passengers were later released, while young men and drivers remained in custody.
Civilians traveling from western Sudan under RSF control continue to face severe humanitarian conditions, including arbitrary detention, extortion, and denial of basic services such as medical care, education, and access to official documentation.