Sudan: Prisoners, missing, and abducted people — continuing crisis and unresolved reports —what are police and Red Cross doing?

Report by Suleiman Siri for Radio Dabanga

Sudan’s Interior Ministry has said its electronic reporting platform has received 550 reports of missing people since mid-April, while the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Sudan said it was aware of recent statements and public announcements concerning the possible release of detainees. The organisation said it was in close contact with the relevant parties, including the United Nations.

The official police spokesperson, Brig Gen Fathalrahman El Tom, told Radio Dabanga that the police electronic reporting platform had received 550 reports of missing people since 15 April. He stressed that the figure did not represent all those missing in the “War of Dignity”, noting that there were also prisoners and detainees held by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) whose capture had not yet been reported.

The political adviser to the President of the Sovereignty Council, Amjad Farid, had earlier announced the formation of an official committee to take responsibility for the issue of detainees held by the RSF, work to secure their release and negotiate detainee exchanges under the auspices of a UN envoy.

In a post on his official X account, Farid said the committee had begun its work and called on families of detainees, abductees, or missing people in areas under RSF control to file reports at their nearest police station or public prosecution office.

Farid said the move was a humanitarian response intended to document cases of missing people and safeguard families’ right to know the fate of their relatives.

Brig General El Tom, the police spokesperson, said the police were aware of the committee and were represented on it as part of efforts to address the issue of missing people and detainees.

Prison inspections

El Tom said inspections of detention facilities were continuing under the supervision of the public prosecution. He said the police took account of the rights of people awaiting trial and those in custody, adding that this was reflected in their attention to conditions inside the detention facilities.

He added that there was a legal principle that an accused person was presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.

El Tom said the police and interior ministry had a council concerned with human rights, particularly the right to a dignified life. He said these rights were observed in all police detention facilities, while reiterating that inspections of detainees were continuing and were carried out by police commanders at all levels.

On Sunday, the General Criminal Court in Dongola sentenced police Lt Col Nizar Ahmed El Hassan, director of investigations in Northern State, and five other police officers to death by hanging as retribution, after finding them guilty of participating in the intentional killing of a detainee.

The convictions were handed down under articles 21 and 130 of Sudan’s 1991 criminal law, amended in 2020, following the assault and torture of a detainee inside the investigations detention facility in Dongola, which resulted in his death. He had been accused of stealing a mobile phone.

Vehicle collection

El Tom, also revealed that 16,823 vehicles had been collected from the streets of Khartoum state, public squares, and government facilities as of Tuesday.

He said a committee had been established to identify the owners of the vehicles, many of which had been looted or stripped of parts, making their ownership difficult to establish.

He said forensic evidence teams and traffic authorities were identifying the owners, adding that the vehicles were being returned through the public prosecution “free of charge”, with no fees being collected when they were handed over.

He explained that the vehicles were being returned through the public prosecution and criminal police stations, confirming that thousands had already been handed back to their owners. He said the number of people receiving their vehicles was large and constantly changing as the handover process continued.

Red Cross preparations

Detainees

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)’s official spokesperson in Sudan, Farid El Humaid, told Radio Dabanga that the organisation was aware of recent statements and public announcements concerning the possible release of detainees.

“Given the sensitivity of the issue and the ICRC’s established practice of maintaining confidentiality, we do not comment publicly on any ongoing discussions,” El Humaid said.

He added that if the relevant parties requested humanitarian support for a release operation, the ICRC was fully prepared to act as a neutral intermediary, drawing on its long experience in armed conflicts around the world. This included facilitating the safe and dignified release and transfer of detainees, as well as other humanitarian operations, always with the agreement of those concerned.

Asked about the number of detainees to be exchanged by each side, the ICRC spokesperson said that in any release operation in which the organisation was asked to act as a neutral intermediary, the selection of detainees was entirely the responsibility of the parties concerned.

Neutral intermediary

El Humaid explained that the ICRC did not participate in setting the selection criteria or decide which names appeared on the final lists.

“Moreover, the ICRC does not publish lists, publicly confirm identities or disclose personal information,” he said. “As part of our role as a neutral intermediary, we support the parties in taking humanitarian considerations into account during the process.”

Regarding the exchange of prisoners at a neutral location, he said that, given the sensitivity of the issue and the ICRC’s established practice of maintaining confidentiality, “we do not comment publicly on any ongoing discussions”.

He said that if the parties reached an agreement on a release operation and requested ICRC support, the organisation would take concrete steps to prepare for the operation and ensure the safety and dignity of those being transferred.

“This includes verifying the identity and presence of the detainees to be transferred, conducting private interviews with them before departure to confirm their consent and assess any vulnerabilities or special needs, then coordinating safe transportation, supporting their access to essential needs and facilitating contact with their families,” he concluded.