Sudan Doctors Network warns 6,500 RSF detainees face dire conditions
09:50, 16/10/2026, FridayU: Update: 10:23, 16/10/2026, Friday
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The Sudan Doctors Network warned that over 6,500 people held by the RSF in El Geneina face severe food shortages and rising deaths, urging immediate humanitarian access to detention facilities.
Deteriorating conditions in West Darfur
The Sudan Doctors Network on Thursday warned that deteriorating health conditions threaten more than 6,500 detainees held by the Rapid Support Forces in El Geneina, West Darfur, citing food shortages and rising daily mortality at military and prison facilities. The independent medical group said in a statement that it had received “reliable information” indicating that more than 6,500 military personnel and civilians are being held at several detention centers in the city, including 709 women and around 500 children under the age of 18.
Detention sites and detainee profile
The network stated that prisoners are held at specific locations across the West Darfur capital. “The detention sites include the former headquarters of the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), the headquarters of the 15th Infantry Division and Ardamata Prison,” it said. The group noted that food shortages and deteriorating health conditions pose serious risks to thousands of detainees, with daily deaths reported to be increasing.
Calls for urgent access
The medical organization said authorities must provide safe drinking water, food and health care to all detainees, and allow independent medical and humanitarian organizations access to the facilities to assess conditions. It added that authorities should disclose the detainees' whereabouts and guarantee their safety and protection from torture and ill-treatment, with special protection for women and children. The RSF has not commented on the allegations.
Conflict background
Sudanese authorities and rights groups estimate that 19,800 people, including military personnel, civilians, women and children, are being held in RSF-run detention facilities. Sudan submitted a memorandum to the UN Security Council in June calling for urgent intervention for the “grave and systematic violations of international humanitarian law” against thousands of civilians and prisoners of war in RSF-controlled detention centers in Darfur. The paramilitary force controls all five Darfur states except for parts of North and West Darfur, while the army controls most of the country including the capital, Khartoum, amid a war that has displaced 13 million people since April 2023.
