Nyala, August 05 (Darfur24)
The families of three detainees from Rahad al-Bardi in South Darfur State have been informed that their relatives died in Daqris prison, a detention facility run by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) west of Nyala, more than a year after they were arrested, according to relatives and recently released detainees.
Relatives said they were told the deceased were Omar Ahmed Al-Sheikh, a member of the General Intelligence Service, Mukhtar Habib Al-Hijazi, a police officer, and Ahmed Ismail Mohamed, a trader. Former detainees who were released on Saturday said the three men died in prison about three months ago.
Ibrahim Al-Tahir, a relative of the victims, told Darfur24 that RSF personnel arrested more than 20 residents of Rahad al-Bardi in June last year, including the Borno tribal chief, Abbas Mohamed Ali, who was released on Sunday.
He said those detained, including Ahmed Ismail Mohamed, were accused of spying for the Sudanese army.
According to Al-Tahir, the campaign targeted members of the army, police, and General Intelligence Service and was carried out following directives issued by senior RSF commanders and recommendations made during a Native Administration forum held in Nyala a month before the arrests. He said the recommendations called for the detention of members of the former ruling National Congress Party and security personnel who refused to join the RSF.
A relative of Ahmed Ismail Mohamed, a trader, said the family learned of his death from a recently released detainee. He denied that Ahmed had any links to the Sudanese army, saying he was among more than 200 people listed for arrest by RSF-affiliated personnel.
According to the relative, around 20 people were arrested in Rahad al-Bardi, while others were detained in nearby areas, including Tawal and Aburi.
Eyewitnesses and local sources told Darfur24 that families in Rahad al-Bardi held condolence gatherings on Monday after receiving news of the deaths.
Daqris prison, located in Al-Salam locality, is under tight RSF security, making family visits extremely difficult. Local sources said access is generally only possible through mediation by community leaders or with the approval of RSF officers.
Last month, families of two detainees from Buram were also informed that their relatives had died in the same prison after months in detention. Darfur24 has previously documented other alleged deaths at Daqris prison based on testimonies from relatives and former detainees.
There are no official figures on the number of detainees held at Daqris prison. However, former detainees told Darfur24 that the facility holds thousands of prisoners from Darfur, Kordofan, Khartoum, Al Jazirah, and Sennar states.
The RSF has not commented on the reported deaths or the conditions inside Daqris prison, and Darfur24 could not independently verify the claims.