RSF Nyala Women Detainees Rights: Hemedti Orders Release, Concerns Remain

• The Darfur Network for Human Rights (DNHR) reports approximately 1,371 women have been detained or imprisoned in Nyala, South Darfur, since the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took control.
• Concerns are high regarding pregnant women giving birth in detention and the overall lack of adequate healthcare and adherence to international human rights standards.
• RSF commander Hemedti reportedly ordered the release of 196 women from a Nyala facility, with each receiving USD 1,000, but DNHR states this does not address broader accountability for violations.
• DNHR is particularly concerned about the arbitrary detention of activists and women human rights defenders, which violates fundamental rights.
• The DNHR calls for immediate release of arbitrarily detained women, disclosure of detainee information, access for families and legal aid, and improved healthcare for vulnerable detainees.

The DNHR firmly asserts that financial compensation should never serve as a substitute for victims' fundamental rights to truth, justice, accountability, and appropriate reparations for any harm suffered.

The Darfur Network for Human Rights (DNHR) has voiced profound alarm regarding the plight of women held in detention facilities within Nyala, South Darfur State. Reports consistently indicate that a substantial number of women, including those identified as activists and human rights defenders, remain in custody. Since the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) assumed control of Nyala and significant portions of Darfur, the cumulative count of women detained or imprisoned in the city has reached approximately 1,371. The DNHR is actively engaged in verifying these figures, alongside investigating the specific circumstances, stated grounds for detention, and the current status of all women who may still be held.

Further compounding these concerns are credible reports that some of the detained women were pregnant at the time of their arrest, with a number reportedly giving birth while still in detention. These accounts raise serious questions about the adequacy of healthcare provisions for pregnant individuals, new mothers, and their infants within these facilities. Moreover, they prompt scrutiny of the overall detention conditions and whether they align with established international human rights standards, particularly concerning the RSF Nyala women detainees rights.

In a notable development, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti, who leads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and a self-declared parallel government in Sudan, reportedly issued an order for the release of all women held at a specific detention facility in Nyala during a personal visit to the site. Following this directive, reports confirm that 196 women were subsequently released. Each of these individuals reportedly received a payment of USD 1,000 upon their release. While the DNHR acknowledges and welcomes any action that restores liberty to individuals who have been arbitrarily detained and facilitates their reunification with families, it emphasizes that such a release, in isolation, does not fully address the potential violations associated with their initial arrest and subsequent detention.

The organization underscores that the Hemedti Nyala women release order does not absolve authorities of their responsibility to ascertain the fate and whereabouts of all other detained women. Furthermore, it does not negate the imperative to clarify the legal basis for their detention or to thoroughly investigate any human rights violations they may have endured. The DNHR firmly asserts that financial compensation should never serve as a substitute for victims' fundamental rights to truth, justice, accountability, and appropriate reparations for any harm suffered.

A particularly pressing concern for the DNHR is the inclusion of activists and women human rights defenders among those arrested and detained. International human rights law unequivocally states that authorities are prohibited from detaining individuals solely based on their involvement in civil society or human rights activities, their expressed views, their documentation of violations, or their provision of assistance to local communities. Such detentions are considered arbitrary and constitute a direct violation of fundamental human rights, highlighting the severe implications of South Darfur women arbitrary detention under the control of the Rapid Support Forces Darfur detentions.

Regardless of which entity controls a detention facility, all authorities are bound to uphold the dignity and fundamental rights of every woman deprived of her liberty. This includes an absolute obligation to protect these women from torture, ill-treatment, sexual violence, and all other forms of gender-based violence. Furthermore, detention centers must guarantee access to essential provisions such as adequate food, clean water, necessary healthcare, medicines, and gender-specific health services, with particular attention to the needs of pregnant women, new mothers, and children born during their mothers' incarceration. Detainees must also be afforded the right to communicate with their families and access legal counsel, while authorities must disclose the locations of detention and the precise reasons for arrest.

In light of these grave concerns, the DNHR has issued an urgent appeal to the Rapid Support Forces and the de facto authorities operating in areas under their control. The network demands several critical actions to uphold Sudan human rights detention standards. Firstly, they call for the immediate release of all women who are arbitrarily detained in Nyala and across other parts of Darfur. Secondly, there is an urgent need for full transparency, requiring authorities to disclose the total number, identities, current whereabouts, and legal status of all women presently in detention, along with the specific grounds for their confinement.

Thirdly, the DNHR insists that families, legal representatives, and independent humanitarian and human rights organizations be granted appropriate access to detainees, in full compliance with international standards. Finally, the network demands that immediate and adequate healthcare be provided to pregnant women, new mothers, and children, and that thorough investigations be conducted into the circumstances surrounding reports of women giving birth while in detention. These measures are crucial to ensure the protection and well-being of all women deprived of their liberty.

Lawyers specializing in international human rights law or advising NGOs should monitor these documented arbitrary detentions and calls for accountability, as they may form the basis for future legal actions or advocacy concerning human rights violations in Sudan. Compliance officers should assess the heightened human rights risks for any operations or supply chains connected to South Darfur.

Source: Original reporting via Darfur Network for Human Rights