Nyala, February 16 (Darfur24)
Citizens in Nyala have accused members of the Federal Police affiliated with the Rapid Support Forces of extortion and threats of deportation to the Daqris detention center, according to multiple eyewitness accounts collected on Monday.
Suleiman Saif Al-Din, one of the victims, told Darfur24 that police officers seized him from the mobile phone market in southern Nyala, accused him of being a “remnant” of the Sudanese army, and demanded 150,000 Sudanese pounds. He said he was forced to pay the sum to secure his release, with no formal report filed against him. An individual named “Mujeeb” was reportedly involved in the arrest.
Another victim, Umm Mahasin, recounted that a shop owner in the southern market was forced to pay 500,000 pounds after police accused him of collaborating with the Sudanese army. She explained that the payment was made via a banking app after the shop owner was allowed to use Wi-Fi inside the detention facility, and he was released six hours later.
Darfur24 verified at least three additional cases of similar extortion, including incidents at the Nyala South police station in the popular market area.
A Federal Police source told Darfur24 that these incidents stem from a prolonged salary delay: personnel have not been paid for ten months, with the last disbursement in April 2025, amounting to $200 for officers and $300 for higher-ranking officials. The source explained that income from fees for filing reports (20,000–50,000 pounds), guarding inmates (10,000 pounds), and securing markets is no longer sufficient to cover salaries, incentives, and daily operational costs.
He added that the civil administration does not pay the Federal Police salaries or provide funding for administrative operations. The total number of Federal Police personnel across all localities does not exceed one thousand, with some members affiliated with the Rapid Support Forces working across departments including investigations, traffic, customs, and prisons.