KHARTOUM – Sudanese medical bodies have accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of torturing and killing a prominent doctor who was held in one of their detention centers in Khartoum. The Sudan Doctors’ Network and Sudanese Doctors’ Preliminary Committee mourned the death of Dr. Mohammed Abdelraouf Abdelmajid Hussein, who died after reportedly being subjected to severe torture during his detention.
Dr. Abdelraouf was arrested from his home in the Al-Taif neighborhood of eastern Khartoum on January 9, 2025. According to a joint statement by the medical groups on Wednesday, his family had no knowledge of his whereabouts for months, only recently learning of his death inside an RSF-run detention facility.
The Sudanese Doctors’ Preliminary Committee confirmed that Abdelraouf succumbed to injuries sustained from brutal beatings and prolonged torture. His family officially announced his death earlier this month. He had reportedly remained in Khartoum to care for his elderly parents when he was arrested without any formal charges or legal proceedings.
The incident adds to growing reports of grave human rights abuses committed by the RSF since Sudan’s civil war erupted in April 2023. Multiple rights organizations have documented patterns of arbitrary detentions, torture, and enforced disappearances, especially in areas under RSF control.
Medical and civil society groups say Abdelraouf’s death is part of a broader pattern of systematic abuse in RSF detention sites. Survivors have recounted being subjected to electric shocks, beatings, and psychological torture. Medical care is often denied, and detainees are held incommunicado for extended periods. Many have died as a result.
Some detainees, including civilians and captured fighters, have reportedly been transferred to RSF-controlled areas in Darfur, including the city of Nyala, one of the group’s main strongholds. These transfers raise fears of further abuse and lack of access to legal oversight or humanitarian monitoring.
The RSF, led by Mohamed Hamadan Dagalo, also known as “Hemedti”, has long faced accusations of committing atrocities, including during the Darfur conflict in the early 2000s. In the current war with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), the group has been repeatedly linked to massacres, sexual violence, and widespread looting across several states.
Dr. Abdelraouf’s killing has sparked outrage among Sudanese doctors and activists, who demand accountability and international pressure on armed groups violating humanitarian law. The Sudan Doctors’ Network called on local and international human rights bodies to investigate the incident and ensure that justice is served.
As the war continues, the toll on civilians-including doctors, humanitarian workers, and journalists-continues to rise, with the RSF facing mounting accusations of targeting those who remain behind to support vulnerable communities.
