SAF launches crackdown against activists in Sennar State after RSF advance

SENNAR – Sudanese military intelligence has detained activists and medical workers in Sennar state, following a recent advance by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to local sources and rights groups.

The arrests targeted activists and young people working in emergency rooms who were aiding displaced persons, sources told Sudans Post. The Resistance Committees of Maireno, a small town south of Sennar, condemned the detentions as a violation of local and international law.

Those arrested include teacher Mohamed Al-Baqir Abdel Halim, lawyer Mohamed Al-Amin Mohamed, engineer Hazem Ali Al-Jandari, Mohamed Radwan Abrashi (a member of the Resistance Committees), and Ahmed Abdel Rahman.

They were arrested on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

“The military intelligence apparatus affiliated with the Sudanese army in Sennar State has launched a targeted arrest campaign against activists and emergency room members in Sennar. They did that starting last week,” said a member of the Resistance Committees who spoke to Sudans Post on condition of anonymity yesterday.

He added that the detentions lacked legal basis and violated fundamental rights. Experts believe the arrests contravene international obligations under the First Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The Resistance Committees called for the immediate release of the detainees and held the SAF accountable for their safety. They also denounced those advocating for continuation of the conflict which has displaced millions.

The detentions coincide with the RSF’s southward expansion from Al Jazira State. Last week, the paramilitary group attacked and captured an SAF garrison in Jebel Moya, a strategic area along the Sennar-Rabak highway.

On Saturday, they took control of the SAF’s 17^th infantry division headquarters in Sinja, Sennar’s capital. SAF forces initially resisted, maintaining control of some brigades, such as the 165^th and 67^th.

However, the RSF ultimately seized control of the entire Sinja on Sunday.

Pro-SAF media outlets and intelligence services have accused “sleeping cells” of aiding the RSF’s advances.

A SAF intelligence officer, Fadl Allah, was pictured with RSF members after the capture of the 17^th infantry division on Sunday. Pro-SAF social media accounts have previously called for his arrest over his alleged role in the RSF’s operations.