The Committee for Justice (CFJ) has documented the arrest of ten humanitarian workers in South Kordofan State by the intelligence service of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-North (SPLM-N), who were subsequently taken to undisclosed locations.
Among the detainees are four employees of the U.S.-based relief organization SMARTEN: Makrious Youssef, Jalal Konda, Jaqoud Omar, and Widad Bashir, who were arrested on Saturday, 8 August 2026, from the organization’s staff residence in Kamlila, an area under SPLM-N control in the Nuba Mountains region.
According to CFJ, two days after the arrest of the SMARTEN employees, six additional humanitarian workers were detained in the Kauda area. They are John Omar, Moaza Younis, and Al‑Najah Koko, who work for Answer the Call, Dr. Mirghani Adam and Akhnouq Ramadan from SMARTEN, and Nasri Mousa from the International Rescue Committee (IRC). They were all reportedly taken to unknown locations.
The Committee for Justice calls for the immediate disclosure of the fate and whereabouts of all detained humanitarian workers, guarantees for their safety, and the facilitation of communication with their families and legal representatives. CFJ further calls for their immediate release, unless they are charged with specific offenses through legal procedures that fully respect their right to a fair trial.
The Committee also stresses the importance of respecting the work of humanitarian organizations and protecting humanitarian workers from arbitrary detention and any violations affecting their safety and fundamental rights.