RSF detains scores in Darfur, accuses them of spying for army
June 9, 2025 (NYALA/EL DAEIN) – Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a widespread campaign of arrests across South and East Darfur on Monday, detaining former soldiers, civil servants, and civilians accused of spying for the Sudanese army, local sources said.
The RSF controls both states but has been accused of widespread abuses against civilians, including killings, looting, and arbitrary arrests under the pretext of their alleged loyalty to the army.
Local sources told Sudan Tribune that RSF intelligence units in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, arrested dozens of people on Monday. “The campaign targeted businessmen and civil servants who were taken from their homes after being accused of spying for the Sudanese army,” one source said.
Those arrested reportedly included civil servants Oqba Abdelhamid, Saber Bashir, and Salah Majok. Separately, sources reported that RSF forces stormed a home in Nyala and killed Yasser Mustafa, the brother of a senior army commander.
The detentions in South Darfur have reportedly increased after army drones struck strategic RSF sites, including Nyala’s international airport and military training camps. Following the strikes, RSF members have been raiding Starlink satellite internet hubs and arresting civilians.
In neighbouring East Darfur, the RSF continued a two-day arrest campaign in the city of El Daein. Sources said the crackdown targeted members of the former ruling Islamic Movement and National Congress Party, as well as traders from African ethnic groups.
According to the sources, the detentions also included RSF members who had recently arrived in East Darfur after the army managed to recapture the capital, Khartoum, in May.
Pro-RSF media platforms released a video showing seized weapons in El Daein. In the clip, an RSF field commander vowed to crush what he called “remnants and sleeper cells.”
“We will not compromise on areas where our martyrs have fallen; we will impose full control through an iron fist,” the commander said while displaying seized weapons. “Anyone who challenges the blood of our martyrs, we will cut his neck… anyone in our areas of control must watch their step or be a brave enemy and face us on the battlefield.”
The RSF’s civilian administration has since declared a state of emergency and general mobilization in South and East Darfur to “confront rising security challenges.” It called on citizens to cooperate fully with authorities and urged youth to support the RSF.