Four Tuti Island detainees reported dead in RSF custody

August 16, 2024 (KHARTOUM) – Four detainees from Khartoum’s Tuti Island have died in Rapid Support Forces (RSF) custody, a member of the island’s resistance committees told Sudan Tribune on Friday.

The source, who requested anonymity, said the deaths occurred in May and were revealed by a recently released detainee who informed the families of the deceased.

The RSF arrested a number of Tuti Island residents in April following protests sparked by the alleged rape of a girl by an RSF member. During Eid prayers, residents demanded the RSF leave the island, but the paramilitary group responded with gunfire and arrests.

Tuti Island sits at the heart of the greater Khartoum where the White Nile and Blue Nile merge to form the mighty Nile River. The island is surrounded by the three towns of the “Triangle Capital” Khartoum, Omdurman, and Khartoum Bahri.

The RSF has occupied Tuti Island since the conflict began in April 2023, effectively turning it into a military base and preventing residents from leaving. Around three weeks ago, the RSF allowed hundreds of families to evacuate in exchange for large sums of money.

The fate of many other Tuti Island detainees remains unknown, with RSF leaders refusing to provide information or access to their families. Some detainees have reportedly been transferred to Soba prison, while others are held in detention centres in the Riyadh and Al-Souq Al-Arabi neighbourhoods.