UAE detains spokesperson for Sudanese resistance committee, family says
November 16, 2025 (KHARTOUM) – Security services in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have arrested the spokesperson for the Coordination of Resistance Committees of Al-Saliha neighbourhoods, south of Omdurman, according to his family.
Activists have previously revealed a crackdown by UAE security services against Sudanese residents there, especially those who show support for the Sudanese Armed Forces in its war against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Dozens of Sudanese are languishing in UAE prisons, according to organizations and activists, including Mohamed Farouk Salman, a former leader in the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC), who has been detained since last January under unknown circumstances and for unknown reasons.
Nizar Maryoud, the brother of the detainee Nader Maryoud, said in a press statement that “his brother, an engineer, was arbitrarily arrested in the UAE more than two weeks ago without explanation for the reasons for his arrest.”
He pointed out that this arrest represents a flagrant violation of human rights, a restriction of his freedom, and a threat to his security and safety.
He called on the UAE authorities to immediately and unconditionally release his brother or to enable him to have full contact with his family and lawyer, while clarifying the reasons for his arrest and ensuring he is not subjected to any form of pressure or inhumane treatment.
In the same context, the al-Saliha Central Resistance Committees condemned the arrest of its member and official spokesperson, asserting that his detention came hours after the committee published a statement criticizing what it called the UAE’s support for the “Janjaweed militia,” in reference to the Rapid Support Forces.
The committee explained that Maryoud has been in detention for more than ten days without access to his basic rights, confirming reports of the UAE authorities’ intention to forcibly deport him to Sudan without any charges filed against him, which it considered a violation of international law and an assault on freedom of expression.
The Resistance Committees held the UAE authorities fully responsible for Maryoud’s health and safety, demanding the immediate disclosure of his legal status, allowing him to contact his family and lawyer, respecting his legal and human rights, and opening an investigation into the circumstances of his arrest and what it described as an illegal deportation attempt.
The UAE faces accusations of being involved in fueling the armed conflict in Sudan by providing military support to the Rapid Support Forces.
Over the past two weeks, activists have launched a widespread protest campaign against what they described as UAE interference in Sudanese affairs. The campaign included protests in front of UAE embassies in several European countries and the United States.