The Committee for Justice (CFJ) has documented the detention of approximately 164 female inmates inside El Daein Women’s Prison in East Darfur State, amid deteriorating health and nutritional conditions and a continued increase in the number of detainees since the outbreak of the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023.
According to information documented by CFJ, many women remain detained for prolonged periods without being referred to trial, under difficult humanitarian conditions. Available information further indicates that the number of female detainees has continued to rise since the beginning of the conflict, amid an apparent lack of effective judicial oversight of their detention conditions and legal status.
The Committee also documented reports indicating that prison authorities have carried out transfers of male detainees to prisons in Nyala, particularly those accused of collaborating with the Sudanese Armed Forces, communicating with entities regarded by the RSF as hostile, or maintaining links with armed groups fighting alongside the army. However, similar transfer procedures reportedly have not included female detainees.
The situation in El Daein Women’s Prison reflects broader concerns regarding detention conditions in areas under RSF control across the Darfur region, where hundreds of detainees and prisoners are reportedly held in harsh humanitarian conditions. Some have allegedly remained in detention for extended periods without being brought before a court or informed of specific charges against them.
Available information also points to growing overcrowding in prisons across East Darfur and South Darfur since the outbreak of the conflict, alongside waves of arrests targeting civilians, traders, and employees on allegations of communication with the army or violations of economic directives, amid limited judicial and human rights monitoring of detention conditions.
The Committee for Justice calls for the disclosure of the legal status of all women detained in El Daein Women’s Prison, guarantees that they are brought before independent judicial authorities within a reasonable legal timeframe, and the release of all detainees whose detention lacks a lawful basis.
CFJ further calls for the provision of adequate healthcare, sufficient and appropriate nutrition, and improved detention conditions, while ensuring that all female detainees are protected from cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment and that their fundamental rights and dignity are respected in accordance with international human rights standards.
