Osman Hussein, a defence lawyer for the detained South Kordofan women detained for alleged ties to the SPLA-North, has revealed that although 13 of the original 32 detainees were transferred from El-Obeid to Kadugli for their release, they remain under further interrogation.

18 of the women are still being held in North Kordofan’s El-Obeid while the 13 were transferred to Kadugli, expecting to be released. 

The group totals 32 women all from South Kordofan state and all - except one for health reasons - were originally transferred to a prison in El-Obeid after being arrested last year.

Hussein claims that it is unclear why some have been returned to Kadugli without release while others remain in El-Obeid and complained thathe has no communication with any of the women.

“We have no communication with them, what we know only is that they (the 18) are still in El-Obeid detention,” he adds.

The women were arrested at various points last year for alleged links to the Sudanese rebel group, the SPLA-North, who have been fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in both South Kordofan since 2011 and Blue Nile state since last year.

The South Sudanese government, who had been accused by Khartoum of supporting the rebels as a proxy militia group recently confirmed that they have no ties to the group, following the implementation of a cooperation agreement in March.