Nyala, June 09 (Darfur24)
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have released more than 27 female detainees from Nyala’s Korea prison following a review of detention cases ordered after a visit by the chief justice of the transitional government, according to multiple sources in South Darfur State.
The move comes as hundreds of women remain in custody amid ongoing concerns over detention conditions and prolonged imprisonment.
Last week, Chief Justice Idris Al-Nur Shalu and his deputy, Babiker Abkar Adam, inspected the detention facility south of Nyala, reviewing the legal and living conditions of inmates, detainees, and individuals awaiting trial. During the visit, Shalu pledged to expedite judicial procedures, reduce prolonged detention periods, and consider the release of prisoners serving light sentences.
A police source at the prison, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Darfur24 that more than 27 female detainees were released last Thursday following a review by a committee comprising representatives from the judiciary, prosecution, police, RSF intelligence, and the RSF legal advisory office.
According to the source, the committee examined cases involving women and minors detained on various charges, including alleged cooperation and espionage for the Sudanese army. Some of those released had been held for more than four months after being arrested in Nyala, other localities in South Darfur, as well as parts of North Darfur and West Kordofan.
A female police officer in South Darfur alleged that the released women were required to swear not to discuss conditions inside the detention center and were warned against disclosing information about their detention. She also called for improved conditions for detainees, including better rehabilitation services and shorter pretrial detention periods.
The officer said more than 600 women remain detained in the facility, including girls as young as 14, on charges ranging from alleged collaboration with the army to financial, family, and public order offenses, as well as cases already adjudicated by rural courts.
Darfur24 reported in January that more than 600 women, some detained alongside their children, were being held at Korea prison under difficult humanitarian conditions, including shortages of food and drinking water and extended periods of detention.
The whereabouts of five female journalists and activists arrested in March after attending a women’s rights workshop in Nyala remain unknown. They include broadcaster Ishraqah Abdel Rahman, Dr. Manahil Mustafa Al-Sanousi, radio broadcasters Zahraa Mohamed Al-Hassan, Mawaheb Ibrahim, and Azhar Abdel Moneim Hamed.
Sources also say that rights activists Magda Hassan Ali and Sarah Mustafa remain in RSF custody in connection with the same workshop.
The RSF uses Korea prison primarily to detain women and hold male detainees temporarily before transferring them to Daqris prison. Rights advocates have repeatedly raised concerns about the lack of adequate healthcare facilities for women and children inside the detention center.