RSF detains dozens of medical and academic staff in West Darfur
November 4, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudan Doctors Network said on Wednesday that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are detaining dozens of professionals in El Geneina in West Darfur state, expressing deep concern over their safety and humanitarian conditions.
The network reported that the detainees include 47 medical personnel and 88 teachers and university professors held across several detention centres in El Geneina.
These facilities include the former UNAMID headquarters, detention centres within the 15th Infantry Division command, and Ardamata prison.
The network stressed in a statement that detaining health workers deprives thousands of citizens of desperately needed medical services.
It added that these detentions exacerbate the significant deterioration of the local health sector and the severe shortage of qualified staff in conflict areas.
The network expressed alarm over the humanitarian and health conditions within these facilities amid reports that civilians, including women and children, are also being held.
It urged authorities to allow competent humanitarian and human rights organizations to visit the detainees, assess their conditions, and ensure they receive necessary healthcare.
The statement noted that international humanitarian law grants doctors and health workers special protection.
It emphasized that any actions taken against medical staff must follow clear legal procedures that guarantee their rights, safety, and human dignity.
The network demanded that the RSF disclose the detainees’ locations, allow them to communicate with their families, and release those who have not faced recognized legal charges or fair judicial proceedings.
It also called on the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and global human rights organizations to monitor the situation and press for the detainees’ fundamental rights.
The continued detention of medical and academic personnel worsens the humanitarian crisis and increases the suffering of communities reliant on these essential services, the network concluded.