Rights group says RSF targets teachers in Darfur over alleged government ties
October 7, 2025 (NYALA) – The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are targeting teachers in areas of Sudan under their control, arresting them on allegations of collaborating with the country’s army-led government, a human rights group said on Tuesday.
The African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) condemned the harassment of civilians by the paramilitary group and raised “serious concerns about the treatment of detainees in custody, particularly given the well-documented use of torture.”
The group detailed several recent incidents in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur. On September 24, it said, RSF soldiers arrested Ibrahim Elshekh, a school principal, from his home for refusing to open his school under the authority of an RSF-aligned administration.
A day later, RSF soldiers arrested another teacher, Alfadil Mohamed, 54, at a city market, accusing him of receiving a salary from the government based in Port Sudan, the statement said. He is reportedly being held at Diqris Prison.
The report drew a swift reaction from the United Nations, which expressed deep concern and called on all parties to the conflict to protect civilians.
“We are alarmed by these credible reports of educators being harassed, arrested, and detained,” a UN spokesperson said in a statement from New York. “Teachers, like all civilians, are not a target. They perform a vital role in society and must be protected from intimidation and harm.”
The UN called for the immediate and unconditional release of all arbitrarily detained educators and urged a transparent investigation into the allegations.
The crackdown comes as many teachers in RSF-controlled territories have refused to work since the academic year began in 2024, according to ACJPS. The group added that the RSF has been detaining educators and money transfer operators while trying to track salary payments from Port Sudan.
The ACJPS statement also highlighted the case of Elden Osman, a high school teacher who has been missing since his November 23, 2024, arrest by the RSF in Omdurman, with concerns for his safety growing after the force’s withdrawal from the area.
In a separate incident in a government-controlled area, ACJPS said security forces in the northern city of Merowe detained seven female teachers on Aug. 11 to prevent them from joining a protest. The UN noted such reports, emphasizing that its call for protection and accountability applies to all armed actors in the conflict.