Nairobi, October 05 (Darfur24)
About 164 female inmates are being held in overcrowded conditions at Al-Daein Women’s Prison in East Darfur State, amid deteriorating food and healthcare conditions and prolonged detention without trial, according to multiple sources.
Sources close to the prison administration told Darfur24 that the number of female detainees has steadily increased since the outbreak of war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023.
The sources said many women have been detained for extended periods without being referred to trial, while the prison administration has continued transferring male detainees to prisons in Nyala.
According to the sources, male detainees accused of spying for the army, communicating with groups considered hostile by the RSF, or supporting armed groups fighting alongside the army are among those transferred. Female detainees, however, have largely remained at Al-Daein prison.
The sources described conditions inside the facility as increasingly difficult, citing overcrowding and shortages of food and medical care.
Hundreds of detainees and prisoners in RSF-controlled areas of Darfur are reportedly being held for prolonged periods without trial or clearly defined charges.
Prisons in East and South Darfur have faced increasing overcrowding since the war began, amid arrests by RSF intelligence units targeting civilians, traders and government employees over alleged links to the Sudanese army or violations of economic directives.
The absence of functioning judicial and human rights oversight has raised concerns about the treatment and legal status of detainees held in RSF-controlled areas.