Blue Nile Civil Society Initiative Condemns Ethnic-Based Arrests and Charges of 'Collaboration'

Amsterdam: Thursday, October 15, 2026: Radio Dabanga. The Blue Nile Civil Society Initiative has condemned the 'arbitrary arrest' campaigns that have targeted large numbers of 'innocent civilians' based on tribal or regional affiliation, or family ties to individuals suspected of links to the Rapid Support Forces or the SPLM-N led by Abdulaziz al-Hilu. The Initiative's Secretary-General, Ali Hajo, told Radio Dabanga that the security cell arrested citizens Al-Reeh Younis Babiker, Al-Baqir Al-Amin Saad, and Jabara Abdullah from Roseires, and took them to an unknown location while blindfolded, revealing information confirming they were subjected to torture. He added that the security cell in the Blue Nile region carried out random arrest campaigns targeting civilians in all provinces on charges related to the affiliation of a family member with the Rapid Support Forces or the SPLM-N led by al-Hilu, pointing out that these are innocent citizens who should be under the protection of the 'de facto authorities' in Blue Nile, and confirming that their families do not know their places of detention, whether they are in the security cell, military intelligence, or another entity. Arrests in the provinces. Secretary-General of the Blue Nile Initiative Ali Hajo pointed out that the method of arrest took place in all provinces, especially Damazin, Roseires, Wad al-Mahi, and Geissan. He stated that a citizen should not be held responsible for the actions of another, demanding the authorities in Blue Nile release all detainees and noting that their numbers are large and they have not been interrogated or charged. He confirmed that many civilians in detention centers have had their detention periods range from one month to two years. On behalf of the Civil Society Initiative, he called on human rights, legal, national, and international humanitarian organizations to go to the Blue Nile region to save civilians there from arbitrary arrests and constant harassment. Hajo said that they in the Civil Society Initiative continue to condemn and denounce the crimes and violations occurring due to the continuation of this war, and they are appealing for an immediate ceasefire, noting that the situation in Blue Nile is very dangerous for the lives of civilians, whether in terms of security or humanitarian conditions, and that humanitarian conditions have deteriorated significantly and become catastrophic. He explained that those in the camps are living in tragic conditions, whether in the province of Damazin, Roseires, or Wad al-Mahi, or those trapped in clash zones in Geissan or Kurmuk, pointing out that conditions towards the border with Ethiopia are deteriorating, with continued exposure to drone strikes targeting civilian objects, including citizens' homes, and killing them, as happened last week. He reiterated their condemnation of what he described as criminal behavior practiced against civilians, and renewed his demand for the local authorities and security services in Blue Nile to release the detainees or bring them to justice if there is any legal basis for their detention, while allowing their families to visit them, their lawyers to communicate with them, and providing them with healthcare and humanitarian assistance. Undermining peace. For its part, the Blue Nile Civil Society Initiative expressed its deep concern, regret, and anger regarding reports of torture, ill-treatment, and enforced disappearance, confirming that targeting citizens without evidence and fair legal procedures represents a violation of their basic rights and an insult to human dignity. The Initiative warned in a statement seen by Radio Dabanga that these practices undermine peace and stability efforts, deepen feelings of injustice and hatred, and threaten the social fabric and peaceful coexistence in the region. It demanded that the competent authorities immediately stop arbitrary arrests, reveal the fate of all detainees and disappeared persons and their whereabouts, ensure their safety and legal rights, release everyone for whom there is no legal basis for continued detention, and investigate allegations of torture and enforced disappearance to hold those responsible accountable. It also appealed to human rights and legal organizations, international human rights institutions, the United Nations, and its specialized mechanisms to act urgently to monitor and verify these violations and work to protect civilians in the Blue Nile region, ensuring that those responsible for the violations do not escape accountability. It stressed that security is not achieved by violating the dignity of citizens or punishing them based on their identity and family ties, but through justice and the rule of law, confirming that these violations must stop immediately, and that the rights and dignity of the people of the Blue Nile region must not be ignored or treated selectively.