Darfur group urges Red Cross to ensure safety of jailed comrades

December 7, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – The rebel Sudan Liberation Movement Transitional Council (SLM-TC) called on the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to ensure the safety and security of prisoners of war from Darfur armed groups.

Following coordinated attacks last May in North and South Darfur by the SLM TC and SLM-Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM), the Sudanese government have detained several commanders from the two group including the SLM-TC leader Nimir Abdel Rahman and SLM-MM spokesperson Mustafa Adroub.

“We call on the International Committee of the Red Cross and human rights organisations to intervene urgently to protect the rights of the prisoners from the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Minni Minnawi and the Transitional Council,” said a statement extended to Sudan Tribune by the SLM-TC spokesperson Dreig Adam.

Adam further said their comrades who have been moved the detention centre of the national security service to Omdurman prison, are very affected by the torture and bad treatment they received during the past six months.

The rebel official further disclosed they handed over a letter to the ICRC on 30 November where they accused the government of “using banned chemical weapons”.

The SLM-TC said the prisoners were subjected to various forms of torture by the government security services during the past six months. It further said that two prisoners had been killed under torture: Mohamed Suleiman (Rakona) and Zakaria Musa Mohamed, as others were wounded and have serious diseases.

The SLM-TC broke away of the SLM Abdel Wahid al-Nur two years ago. Recently, it signed a joint declaration of unilateral cessation of hostilities with the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and SLM-MM.

(ST)