Nyala, January 24 (Darfur24)
Families of detainees held in Daqris prison in Nyala say they have received sudden notifications of relatives dying in custody, with no explanation provided and no bodies handed over.
Abdullah Mutaz, a relative of one of the detainees, told Darfur24 that his family was informed on Thursday by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of the death of his grandfather, Police Assistant Hamadi Zakaria, who served in the police force for more than 40 years.
Mutaz said Zakaria was arrested in January last year in the city of Al-Daein and transferred to Daqris prison despite his advanced age and deteriorating health. He added that the family received the death notification without any details about the circumstances or cause.
In a similar case, a source close to the family of businessman Zakaria Juma Idris, who had been detained since last September in Zalingei, told Darfur24 that they were recently informed of his death inside the detention center after his health worsened and he failed to receive medical treatment.
Idris was arrested along with several civilian and military figures in Zalingei, including Samir Mavier, Abbas Rex, head of the local football association, former commissioner Hasab Al-Nabi Abdullah, and Abubakr Jibril Ahmed, an employee of the National Fund for Student Welfare.
Daqris detention center, located about 20 kilometers southwest of Nyala, is one of the largest detention facilities in Darfur, where thousands of civilians and military personnel are reportedly held.
Last December, the head of the Presidential Council of the “Founding” Alliance, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, announced the formation of a committee to review detainee lists and release those found to be innocent. However, a member of the committee told Darfur24 that it has yet to begin its work.