Rights group demands release of female activists held in Sudan’s Nyala

July 22, 2026 (NYALA) – The Sudanese Rights and Freedoms Defence Group called on the Tasais government on Wednesday to release women human rights defenders held under house arrest in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state.

The Tasais coalition, the political and civil arm of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), formed a parallel government to official authorities in areas under its control, covering most of Darfur and parts of Kordofan.

Azra Mohamed Ahmed, a member of the defence group, told Sudan Tribune that the Tasais government is holding female activists and human rights defenders inside houses in Nyala without allowing them to communicate with their families.

She demanded the release of the detainees, including lawyer Majda Hassan Ali Al-Amin, a member of the group and the Darfur Bar Association.

Al-Amin, a co-founder of the Sudan Women for Women Development Organization, was arrested along with others in February, days after organizing a seminar on women’s issues. Authorities accused them of belonging to the army and providing it with coordinates.

The RSF routinely arrests civilians and activists on suspicion of collaborating with the army, holding them in facilities that lack basic services, including Dagris prison near Nyala.

On Tuesday, the defence group said Al-Amin and several other female rights defenders have faced detention and enforced disappearance for months on allegations of collaborating with the military.

The group petitioned for their release, noting that authorities freed some defenders after long delays while keeping Al-Amin and others in custody.