Updated: 27 April 2026 15:34:55
RSF Detains Hundreds of Soldiers and Civilians, Including Children, in El Fasher
Moatinoon
The Sudan Doctors Network has revealed alarming humanitarian and health conditions in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State, in a report covering the period from January to April—six months after the city was overrun by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The report states that the RSF is detaining hundreds of civilians, including children, women, and doctors, in detention facilities where severe abuses are taking place, including killings during torture and interrogation, as well as ethnically motivated executions.
According to the report, the military operations accompanying the takeover of the city resulted in large numbers of civilian casualties due to indiscriminate shelling and direct targeting of residential neighborhoods, leading to widespread massacres. This has also caused a sharp increase in critically injured individuals amid a near-total collapse of the healthcare system and the inability of medical facilities to respond.
Data obtained by the network indicate that the RSF is currently holding (907) military prisoners and approximately (1,470) civilian detainees, including (426) children and (370) women. They are being held across multiple locations, including Shala Prison, service facilities such as the Children’s Hospital and the bus terminal, as well as in shipping containers.
Testimonies from survivors indicate that detainees are subjected to grave violations, including summary executions. In February, (16) civilians were reportedly killed inside Al-Rasheed dormitories at the University of El Fasher on ethnic grounds after being accused of affiliation with government forces. Many detainees are also suffering from untreated injuries caused by shelling.
On the health front, detention centers have witnessed a widespread outbreak of cholera since early February, amid a lack of prevention and treatment measures. Weekly deaths range between (5–10) cases, with total fatalities exceeding (300) over two months. Poor environmental conditions, lack of clean water, and malnutrition have further fueled disease spread and wound infections. The report also notes that bodies are often left inside detention sites for extended periods before being forcibly buried by detainees.
The healthcare sector is facing a severe shortage of personnel, as the RSF is detaining (22) doctors, including (4) female doctors, amid a critical lack of medical supplies. Detainees also suffer from acute shortages of food and drinking water, with daily deaths being reported.
The report highlights a clear link between the violence accompanying the city’s takeover and the subsequent collapse of humanitarian and health conditions. It concludes that massacres and direct targeting of civilians led to mass arrests and inhumane detention conditions, exacerbating the health crisis in the city.
The Sudan Doctors Network called for urgent international intervention to halt violations, release arbitrarily detained civilians, provide essential healthcare services, and ensure the protection of those remaining in El Fasher.
