The Committee for Justice (CFJ) has documented extremely grave humanitarian conditions inside Shala Prison in El‑Fashir, North Darfur, where field reports indicate daily deaths among civilian detainees under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). More than 9,000 civilians are reportedly held in harsh, inhumane conditions.
According to CFJ’s monitoring, detainees are suffering from severe food shortages and an almost complete absence of medical services. Information indicates that the majority of those detained are injured civilians with fractures and serious wounds caused by indiscriminate shelling on El‑Fashir. These detainees have received no medical treatment, leading to infected wounds, maggot infestation, and the deaths of over 300 people in the past two months alone.
CFJ also documented that RSF forces have been leaving the bodies of deceased detainees inside the prison with surviving inmates for prolonged periods—an egregious violation of human dignity—before forcing detainees to bury the bodies in the western yard of Shala Prison, approximately 400 meters from the facility.
Information further indicates the continued spread of cholera inside Shala Prison, with 5 to 10 deaths recorded weekly, amid a total absence of treatment or preventive measures, dramatically worsening the humanitarian catastrophe.
The committee affirmed that the situation in Shala Prison amounts to serious violations of international humanitarian law, including deliberate medical neglect, inhumane treatment, and exposing thousands of civilian detainees to slow death under life‑threatening conditions.
CFJ calls for the immediate cessation of all violations taking place inside Shala Prison, and demands the urgent provision of adequate food and emergency medical care for all civilian detainees. The committee also urges unrestricted access for humanitarian and medical organizations, and calls for independent, transparent investigations into all deaths, along with accountability for those responsible—ensuring the protection of detainees’ lives and dignity.