Sudan’s RSF detains family members of journalist in North Darfur

April 13, 2026 (KUTUM) – Rapid Support Forces (RSF) personnel raided the family home of Sudanese journalist Zamzam Khater in Kutum, North Darfur, on Sunday evening, detaining several relatives and moving them to an unknown location, Khater said on Monday.

The raid follows a wave of arrests launched by the RSF late last week, targeting dozens of young men in the area. The crackdown comes after Brigadier General Al-Nour al-Qubba, a prominent local RSF leader with significant influence in Kutum, defected and surrendered to the Sudanese army.

Al-Qubba’s defection has heightened internal divisions within the RSF amid mounting accusations against the group’s leadership of negligence, mismanagement, and corruption.

Khater told Sudan Tribune that RSF forces sealed off all entrances and exits to her family’s neighbourhood, preventing movement and isolating residents inside their homes.

She said the force assaulted family members and looted the house. Those detained include her four sisters, Iman, Ijlal, Asma, and Aisha, her brother Hussein, her nephews and nieces, Moamar, Khalda, and Ramaz, and her aunt Amina.

Displaced persons staying at the house were also detained. Khater reported that the forces fired shots into the air, used verbal abuse, and confiscated all communication devices.

The journalist added that she remains unaware of the specific motives behind the raid and the targeting of her family members.