Report on Violations by the Sudanese Armed Forces in Umbada – Dar Al Salam, Khartoum State
The Darfur Victims Support Group has exposed gross human rights violations in Sudan, where citizen Abdelgani Khaled was subjected to arbitrary arrest and torture by armed elements affiliated with the Sudanese Armed Forces. Additionally, lawyer Hassan Sheikh, Abdelgani’s cousin, was also arrested, tortured, and subjected to financial extortion.
🕊️ Incident Details:
On May 28, 2025, around 11:30 a.m., a force of seven individuals in Sudanese Armed Forces uniforms arrived at the home of 61-year-old Abdelghani Khalid in the Dar Al Salam neighborhood. According to the victim, the group included a warrant officer, two first sergeants, and one individual believed to be an intelligence technician.
The group knocked on the door and were received by Hassan Sheikh, a lawyer and Abdelghani’s cousin. They asked whether he was Abdelghani; he denied it. Upon hearing his name, Abdelghani came out and said, “Yes, that’s me.” They immediately tied him up in front of his wife and children and began searching the house without a warrant. Two soldiers—Abosheiba and Bol (from South Sudan)—looted belongings and took Abdelghani to a detention center associated with the “Comprehensive Security Deployment” in Dar Al Salam, Block 16.
There, he was interrogated about ties to the Rapid Support Forces. He replied that he was a blind civilian with no affiliation to any armed group. Nonetheless, he was beaten during questioning. Later, a captain named Musab arrived, continued the interrogation, then returned to Abdelghani’s house and arrested the lawyer Hassan Sheikh.
Hassan was physically assaulted and verbally abused during questioning about his political ties to the “Forces of Freedom and Change” and his involvement in humanitarian and volunteer initiatives. He was later transferred to an intelligence facility in Al-Thawra, Block 18, Omdurman. His family reports he suffers from chronic conditions (hypertension and diabetes), yet was denied contact with family or medical care.
Meanwhile, Abdelghani was released on condition that he report daily to the Dar Al Salam detention center for a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. He later witnessed members of the so-called “Al-Baraa bin Malik Battalion” arrest two neighbors—Walid Adel El-Tijani and Wad El-Rayah—who were then summarily executed in a public square.
💸 Financial Extortion for Release:
On June 4, 2025, Hassan Sheikh was allowed a single phone call to his family, during which he asked them to transfer 200,000 Sudanese pounds via the Bankak app to a member of the security cell in exchange for his release. The transfer was made, and the family was promised his release—which never occurred.
Then, on June 15, another demand was made for 500,000 Sudanese pounds. The family complied, but again, Hassan was not released. The family characterized this as an organized, repeat extortion effort by uniformed agents operating under official protection.
⚖️ Recommendations:
The incidents described constitute serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, including:
- Arbitrary arrest and illegal detention
- Torture and cruel, degrading treatment
- Invasion of homes and private property
- Extortion under duress
- Extrajudicial execution
The Darfur Victims Support Organization urges:
- An independent investigation into the violations in Umbada
- Immediate legal, medical, and psychological aid for the victims and their families
- Accountability for all perpetrators, in line with the principle of no impunity
- Documentation of these testimonies for submission to regional and international mechanisms, particularly the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan