Sudanese doctors demand that the Rapid Support Forces release a doctor in El Geneina

Amsterdam: Tuesday, October 6, 2026: Radio Dabanga. The Preliminary Committee of the Sudanese Doctors Syndicate announced the arrest of Dr. Mubarak Bashara Ahmed Al-Tayeb, a general practitioner at El Geneina Hospital, by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) intelligence since Saturday, September 26. In a statement viewed by Radio Dabanga, the committee said that Dr. Mubarak Bashara was arrested from his home in El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur State, by an armed group affiliated with the RSF. It added: 'Based on our professional and union role toward the medical community, we hold the parties that arrested Dr. Mubarak fully responsible for his safety and demand his immediate release.' The committee demanded an end to the harassment of doctors and health facilities, and everything that would affect health services for the Sudanese people, who are suffering from the ravages of a war that is expanding and causing the collapse of health services. The Preliminary Committee of the Sudanese Doctors Syndicate appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Sudan and relevant international organizations to intervene to secure the release of the detained doctor. Regarding the protection of doctors, the spokesperson for the Preliminary Committee of the Sudanese Doctors Syndicate, Dr. Adiba Ibrahim Al-Sayed, told Radio Dabanga that Dr. Mubarak is a general practitioner who had been working in the emergency department at El Geneina Hospital since the beginning of the war, despite the collapse of the health situation, adding that he had been performing all his duties with diligence and dedication toward his fellow citizens. Suddenly, he was arrested by the RSF from his home, and she called for his immediate and unconditional release. She added that they have another colleague detained by military intelligence in Al-Qadarif, appealing to international organizations, human rights groups, the World Health Organization, the Ministry of Health, the ICRC, and the transitional authorities to pressure both sides to stop targeting doctors. She explained that they are performing a humanitarian duty, continuing: 'We should receive clear recognition from everyone. They should know that the doctor is performing his duty in very poor working conditions and environment, with a lack of many support medical staff and a shortage of medicine. Despite all this, the doctor is still standing, working, and sacrificing himself for his people.' She emphasized that they must not be dragged into any conflicts, confirming that they are performing their duties sincerely, adding that in times of war, they have nothing but humanitarian work. She stated that a doctor’s mission is humanitarian and should not be met with opposition or tainted by unacceptable accusations, confirming that 21 doctors are still missing. She considered that these practices are pushing medical personnel to consider emigration due to the cruelty and abuse they face, and the risks to their lives while performing their duties.