Sudan: 32 Nuba Women Behind Bars in the Women’s International Day!

The Sudanese security in Kadugli the capital of South Kordofan/Nuba mountains state , started arrest campaign against women in Kadugli , the campaign started in early November 2012 where women had been called for investigations in Security offices in Kadugly about their relations to the Sudanese Peoples liberation Movement/ North , which fighting the Sudanese government in the region since June 2011. Witnesses informed Arry that women  in the first week had been released always in the end of the day but the campaign intensified since November 10^th,2012, where 15 women called for investigations and not been released until now.

During the first week of November2012 reports indicates that dozens of had been investigated with about their relation to the SPLM/N , and accused of supporting the rebels. In November 11^th , the arrest campaign of women in Kadugli increased as the numbers of women in detention now are 33 and one man who is a father of one of the women detainees. Most of the women are married and has children in need for care.

This arrest campaign comes in awake of escalating violence in Kadugli and the villages around it , as the attacks from Sudanese government on SPLM/N troops and the SPLM/N attacks on Kadugli forced hundreds to leave the town .IDPs from the town arrived in Al Obeid in North Kordofan state , reported that the Ahmad Haroun the governor of South Kordofan/Nuba mountains state , restricted movement out of the town and civilians sneak out of the city at night using dangerous roads to flee the fighting and searching for food and security as the town is described to be ghost town for the past few months.

Women detainees entered hunger strike:

On December 27^th ,2012 more than 65 women detainees in Kadugli the capital of south Kordofan state, entered in  hunger strike, protesting the ill-treatment inside the armed forces 14^th division detention in Kadugli. After 3 days of hunger strike, on December 30^th , the security and armed forces decided to transferred the women detainees to Al Obaied prison , in North Kordofan. The conditions in the Kadugli prison described to be inhuman, by some detainees released, and the situation in Al Obied should be better in term of space and food, but its unknown yet if the women detainees will allowed family visits , or any charges will be presented against them.

Torture inside detentions:

A released detainee from Kadugli , who was detained on December 14^th , 2012 informed Arry that he had been severely tortured while he was detained ,in the Army 14^th division base in Kadugli the capital of South Kordofan state , he said that” they take us with our eyes covered  to closed rooms and they beat us and put us in big barrels of cold water for hours , the peoples who were torturing us were not Sudanese they were not speaking Arabic“ . He said this kind of torture had been used on him and many of his colleagues detainees men and women, and the detainees always taken with their eyes closed to the torture rooms.

Prison conditions:

The women in Al OBied women prison are detained in a cell of 4×5 meters for 30 women with 6 children at least, and they all use just one path room and they are not allowed to use it after the sun set, so they have to spend 15 hours from 5PM to 8AM without going to the path room, and they have plastic basins to go inside the cell. The women are ordered to cook their food which is lentils, and they have just two meals a day many days without bread. The detainees are not allowed to medical care or family and lawyers visits.

Khadija Badr Testimony:

Khadija Mohamed Badr is a Nuba woman was detained in Kadugli on November 11^th , 2012;in the large campaign of arrests of Nuba women during the last two months of 2012. Khadija was detained with more than 30 women early November 2012 in suspicion of their relation with the Sudanese Peoples liberations Army/ North -SPLM/N activities in Nuba mountains.

On February 6^th,2013, Khadija was transferred to Khartoum General Hospital after her health was severely deteriorated  in result of torture by the Sudanese security in detention. The doctors initial diagnosis for Khadija condition is she suffer from spinal injury. Khadija told Arry that” I am so afraid, the security told me not talk to anyone about what happened to me , they told me to say I fall in the detention bathroom and this what I will say about myself until I feel safe for my live”.

On March 6^th, 2013, the Sudanese Security decided to take Khadija back to Al Obied women prison despite her health condition an prevented her from continuing her treatment and to start the physical therapy. The security decision put her life in serious danger as her situation is very sensitive and the traveling distance of 292 miles from Khartoum to Al Obied will increase the risk on her situation.  Arry organization informed by a relative of Khadija Omer that she is in Khartoum and her health condition is very bad while her family are not allowed to see her .

Khadija Badr agreed to talk about her colleague women detainees , she said “ we were detained in unknown detention in Al Obied since early January 2013, we are about 32 women in this detention and 5 women detained with their children 3 months ago “ , some of the names of women detained with their children are :

1-      Afaf Madani and her daughter Nagam – 9 months old

2-      Rasiel and her child Abd allah – one year and 6 months

3-      Aiesha Hussain and her child Hussain

The names available  of the women in detention now are:

1- Elradia Suleiman Tiya- Teacher

2- Amal Abdelfadeel Elnur- Inspector at taxation department.

3- Afaf Madeni Nasir- Sabori Village.

4- Madeni Nair- (the only man on the list and the father of Afaf)

5- Hawa Kubara Mussad.

6- Meha Ali.

7- Rabha Kaila.

8- Magda Mubarak.

9- Amal Abdelgadir- Ministry of Finanace.

10- Fatima Subahi.

11- Bahja Muwafi.

12- Samia Hussien.

13- Aisha Hussien.

14- Fatima Maki.

15- Summia Mergani.

16- Ihsan Ibrahim.

17- Fatihia Abdelmutaib- Ministry of Health.

18- Resail Murad.

19- Ihlam Abdelgadir.

20- Allia Musa.

21- Zainab Musa.

22- Amna Yousif.

23- Umelhussien Abuzaid.

24- Tayseer Abdelgadir.

25- Samia Zaroog.

26- Khadiga Mohammed Badur- University Ggraduate.

27- Aisha Hiadan.

28- Fatima Mohamed Ali.

29- Naik Bashir.

30- Hiba Abdelrahman.

31- Rawia Mus.

32- Asmehan Ramedan Maki- Lab techinian.

33- Wijdan Ibrahim- Kadugli Radio Station.

34- Nejat Ibrahim.

Arry organization and the families of the detainees are extremely concerned about the safety of those women and their children, and they are in danger of torture and ill treatment in detention . The Sudanese government is violating the international law by this race base arrest campaign which targeting women from Nuba ethnicity and arbitrary arrest them depriving them from their basic freedoms in addition to the torture and ill-treatment of those women in detention.

The Sudanese security also is detaining children with their mothers in new violation for children rights and preventing the women detainees from any access to family or lawyers. Arry organization condemn the Sudanese government violations of the international law and basic freedoms and call on the Sudanese government to immediately and unconditionally release the women detainees or present charges against them and allow them access to family and lawyer and medical care, we also call on them to conduct serious and independent investigation on the violations committed against this women detainees in the security detentions.