Sudanese police have arrested 18 women and burned down more than 800 shelters on the outskirts of Khartoum over alleged alcohol brewing, a rights activist said.

Deng Wol, a member of An Nas Center for Legal Aid in Khartoum, told Radio Tamazuj that the raid came in a camp for stranded South Sudanese nationals. He said the women were allegedly brewing marissa, a traditional drink made from dates and sorghum. 

The families who had their shelters burned are now living in open areas. He said it is likely the women accused of brewing the drink will each have to pay a fine of five Sudanese pounds.

The South Sudanese embassy in Khartoum has been alerted and is looking for a way to resolve the problem and rebuild the shelters.

Wol said the police also inspected camps for people from Western and Northern Bahr el Ghazal states and the Equatorias.