Ahmed Hassan Ahmed, a third-year student of law at Al Daein University in Sudan’s East Darfur State, recently recounted his ordeal after being arrested by military intelligence in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State.
Ahmed and another man were accused of belonging to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF)
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday after release, Ahmed said the incident occurred last month, saying that they were hooded and apprehended alongside others, subsequently taken to the intelligence prison in El Fasher on September 3rd. Fortunately, they were released on September 10.
During their detention, Ahmed and his friend endured a harrowing experience, including being deprived of food and water for 24 hours, suffering ill-treatment, torture, and even having their nails cut.
Ahmed mentioned that he was subjected to beatings in an attempt to force a false confession about his affiliation with the Rapid Support Forces. He highlighted that all detainees seemed to be targeted based on ethnic reasons, noting, “Inside the detention centre, I found 28 people who told me that they did not know the reasons for their arrest.”
Ahmed emphasized that arresting individuals without clear reasons constitutes a grave violation of human rights. He attributed this alarming trend to the prevalence of tribalism and ethnic tensions in North Darfur.
In light of this, he urged young people to avoid unnecessary travel until the security situation stabilizes, cautioning that the presence of Military Intelligence and Rapid Support Forces everywhere exposes individuals to the risk of arbitrary arrest.
Military officials in the area could not immediately be reached for comment.