Sudanese security forces launch new arrest campaign in Sinja

April 7, 2024 (SINJA) – Sudanese security services conducted a fresh wave of arrests on Sunday, targeting politicians and activists in Sinja, the capital of Sennar State.

The move comes amid tensions between Sudan’s military and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on one side and civilian forces calling for an end to the ongoing conflict. These civilian groups have been actively documenting alleged human rights violations, putting pressure for a peaceful resolution.

A member of the Sinja Resistance Committees informed Sudan Tribune that the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) and the General Intelligence Service (GIS) arrested prominent Communist Party member Seif al-Dawla Jadid and Sinja emergency room volunteer Mohamed al-Hadi, known as “Hatab.”

Significantly, both Jadid and Hatab were released only a month ago after spending over three months in detention. Their rearrests highlight the ongoing crackdown.

The source further reported that the security forces also detained Mohamed al-Wathiq Mohamed Abdallah, an employee at Sinnar University’s Faculty of Education, along with the brother of journalist Ali al-Arsh (apparently mistaking him), and the father and brother of two other activists.

This follows a wider arrest campaign by Military Intelligence across Sennar State in recent weeks, targeting members of political parties, resistance committees, and even humanitarian aid workers in cities like Dinder, Abu Hajjar, and Sinja.

The source revealed that security forces raided over 25 homes during the latest operation, with fears of an intensification in the coming hours due to the heavy deployment of security personnel. This extensive deployment has also hampered efforts to monitor detainees’ whereabouts.