A group of 26 men, the majority of whom are Christians, was arbitrarily arrested by the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) Military Intelligence unit in Shendi, River Nile State. Fourteen were released between 12 and 13 October, but the rest remain in detention.
Most of the detained men are members of the Sudanese Church of Christ (SCOC) in Al Ezba, Khartoum North, and were forced to flee along with their families as fighting between the SAF and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) intensified in the city. They were among 100 SCOC members who fled to Shendi in October.
The men were arrested at the SCOC building in Shendi. Six were detained on 6 October; on 10 October a further 10 were detained, and on 11 October another 10 were detained. Military intelligence officers harassed, interrogated and finally detained the men, accusing them of being affiliated with the RSF. An eyewitness told CSW that all of the men were harassed and physically assaulted in front of their families. Over the weekend of 12-13 October, 14 of them were released; however, a further twelve remain in detention.
The men had travelled to Shendi with their families that include at least 25 women and 54 children, who now face a dire humanitarian situation, and have been forced to stay in the SCOC church building in Shendi, which is overcrowded as it is not designed to host displaced persons. At the time of the arrests, the officers separated the men, women and children, and all males over the age of 18 were detained. Those detained have not been allowed visits from family members or from their lawyers, and have not been formally charged with any crimes. They are held by the Almudada Unit of Military Intelligence, a notorious unit known to use torture and other forms of violence on detainees.
The entire group belongs to the Moro Nuban tribe in South Kordofan State. While the majority of those detained are Christian, at least one detainee is a Muslim. The SCOC is a predominantly Nuba denomination which has experienced both religious and ethnic discrimination.
CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘We are deeply concerned by the arrest and detention of these men, who simply sought refuge for themselves and their families, yet have been subjected to unjust detention, unwarranted assaults and interrogation. We welcome the release of 14 of the men but are concerned by the continuing detention of the others. The circumstances of their arrest, the conditions of their detention, and the lack of access to their families and lawyers are egregious violations of their fundamental rights by the party to this conflict that occupies Sudan’s seat in international arenas, and which is therefore under a greater obligation to protect and respect the human dignity of all civilians. CSW calls for the immediate and unconditional release of these men. We are also deeply concerned by the deteriorating humanitarian situation of internally displaced persons, and call on the authorities to ensure that support is provided for those who are enduring displacements over a year and a half into this conflict.’
In a separate development, Christians living in Al Thora Mobe village, a suburb of Wad Madani, Gezira State, report being forced to convert to Islam by the RSF, which controls the area. A reliable source has informed CSW that the village is in an area with little to no infrastructure, but has been home to Christians who fled the war in Nuba Mountains in 2011 and has five churches and two Christian schools.
Al Thora Mobe village has been under RSF control since December 2023. The CSW source said: ‘We live under miserable conditions and lack all basic needs’, explaining that it is also dangerous to flee, as the RSF has surrounded the village and accuses anyone who tries to leave the area of being affiliated with the SAF. However, those who do escape areas under RSF control risk being arrested by military intelligence and detained like the SCOC members held in Shendi.
Mervyn Thomas continued: ‘The SAF and RSF must adhere to international humanitarian law and respect their international obligations under the Jeddah agreement. We call on the RSF to cease its efforts at forcible conversion, which have been occurring on a widespread and systematic basis since the beginning of the ongoing conflict.’