The African Center for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) condemns the continued targeting of human rights defenders for their work in Sudan. ACJPS has documented several incidents where seven (07) human rights defenders/activists were arbitrarily arrested detained and allegedly tortured by the SAF Military Intelligence (MI) Unit in Blue Nile region. We urge the Sudanese Army to desist from the repression of human rights defenders and allow them to exercise their rights to freedom of expression and association as guaranteed under Sudan's Constitution and international treaties ratified by Sudan.
On 14 January 2024, the Military Intelligence (MI) Unit in Al-damazin, the capital of the Blue Nile Region (BNR) arrested four human rights defenders and activists. The activists hold leadership positions within the local Resistance Committees in Blue Nile. The Committee’s main objective is to provide services to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from other states like Al-Jazeera seeking refuge in Blue Nile Region. The IDPs are being hosted in several facilities including Alnahda school where the initiatives/committees are very active. The activists were arrested from their homes at about 11:20 am and taken to the MI detention center at the SAF headquarters in Al-damazin also known as Division 14 for interrogation. The group was then released at 07:00 P.m later that day. While in detention, the group was threatened and demanded to support SAF during the popular recruitment processes of civilians into the army to fight against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).