Daglo Family Detention Centers : Stories Of Survivors

A jailer who consumes all kinds of drugs and alcohol rushes toward his detainees, eager to beat and humiliate them, tearing their bodies with his whip and hurling deafening profanities at them. Hunger and thirst plague them all day, with only a single meal barely enough to sustain life. They are then forced to pray without ablution, despite purity being a fundamental condition of prayer. This was the fate of Kojak and his fellow detainees in the prisons of the now-dissolved militia of Daglo family, They wished for death hundreds of times but never received it-it would have been a mercy compared to the agony they endured. Their captors intended a slow death, inflicting pain beyond their imagination.

M.A. left with Kojak and some school friends, searching for a livelihood. The war had dragged on, schools had closed, and the stagnant market no longer met their families' needs. They planned to leave their village in North Kordofan, heading towards the northern artery, hoping for better opportunities.

Sudanow met two of these travelers-Kojak and M.A.-both 19-year-old students who were supposed to sit for their Sudanese certificate exams and enroll in a prestigious university, had it not been for this cursed war. They preferred not to reveal their full names out of fear for their families.

M.A. talked to Sudanow Magazine in a private conversation:
"I have faced death multiple times and no longer fear it. During the torture, I even begged them to kill me. But now, I fear for my family-I don't want them to suffer because of me."

Kojak's mother was worried and hesitant about his journey, but he was determined. He had to help himself and his family, so he bid her farewell and set off early in the morning to join his companions.

"The vehicle that carried us had around eighty passengers, including the driver and his assistant. Among us were disabled individuals, the sick, the elderly, and teenagers-all united by a single goal: traveling for medical treatment and better living conditions," Kojak recounted.

He added: "We left Umm Sumaymah at six in the morning. Upon reaching Al-Andaraba, a remote area about 40 kilometers from the Rahid Al-Nuba road, the path became impassable. The sun was setting when two vehicles belonging to the now-dissolved Rapid Support Forces appeared. We thought it was just a routine checkpoint-we had heard many stories about their roadblocks. Assuming it was a standard inspection, we took out our identification documents, but they didn't care. Instead, they started insulting and robbing us. When the driver protested, they beat him mercilessly. Two of them climbed onto our vehicle and found a blind man and a disabled man among us. One of the Janjaweed grabbed the disabled man and threw him off the vehicle onto the ground. Then, upon noticing our blind companion, they accused us of being mobilized by the army and told us they would release us if we confessed."

M.A. said:"How could we confess to something we never did? We don't lie. We told them we were just travelers and showed them our papers, but they refused to believe us. Instead, they ordered us to follow them into the unknown."

M.A. continued: "On the second day, we were transferred to Omdurman, to the 'Al-Saliha' detention center. There, we saw the remains of people who had been completely slaughtered. We spent a week enduring brutal torture and forced labor. They made us work for them, transporting weapons and supplies into their warehouses while blindfolded so we wouldn't recognize the locations."

They were then moved to "Dar Al-Salam 17," a detention center that appeared to be a two-story residential house.
"There, we found women detainees-about twelve young women and a child. One day while we were interrogated in the middle of the night, we heard the wailing of the women as they cried and screamed. I cannot even describe the kind of torture they endured," Kojak recalled emotionally.

They were held in that detention center for seven days before being transferred to Soba Prison in Khartoum, where conditions worsened.

According to a report by "Emergency Lawyers", There are 44 detention centers operated by the now-dissolved RSF have been identified in Khartoum. Among these, Soba Prison is one of the most notorious, holding thousands of civilians and military personnel in inhumane conditions. Reports indicate that the number of detainees in Soba Prison could reach 6,000, most of whom are civilians, with some being foreigners.

Other detention centers include the basement of Sudan Open University in Al-Riyadh, Khartoum, where about 700 to 800 people are held.

The total number of detainees in Daglo family militia detention centers may exceed 6,000, with possibly more in undisclosed locations. These centers suffer from overcrowding and lack basic necessities, leading to deaths caused by torture and lack of medical care.

These conditions have raised serious concerns about human rights violations in Sudan. Human rights organizations are calling for urgent action to protect detainees and ensure they receive their basic rights.
M.A. recalled fasting during Ramadan 2024 in Soba Prison: "We saw vehicles from humanitarian organizations bringing food, medicine, and healthcare supplies to the prison. But none of these reached the detainees. The militia soldiers seized everything for themselves. There were times when we went two days without water or food. If we were given anything, it was just a handful of rice with alum or unsalted lentils-each person receiving their portion in their hands as if we were feeding birds. We were also forced to participate in looting citizens' homes against our will."

After three months of disappearance, the families of the detainees confirmed that their sons were being held in Soba Prison. They struggled to locate them and eventually sought mediation from local affiliated leaders of the militia to secure their release. However, the militia soldiers refused to release them unless ransom payments were made.

Kojak concluded his testimony to Sudan Now, saying:
"This experience changed me. I used to be short-tempered and impatient, but after my release, I see life differently. I've become more mature and have strengthened my faith, realizing that nothing happens except by God's will."

M.A. added: "My experience in Soba taught me the meaning of hope. We never thought we would make it out alive. Everyone I saw there was just a hollow shell, resigned to death, waiting for their souls to depart at any moment."

These young men were finally released, because of the intervention of local tribal leaders in North Kordofan State. The Sudanese National Army also played a significant role in liberating some detainees from Daglo family militia's captivity.

In April 2023, the Sudanese National army successfully freed two high-ranking officers, Major General Al-Sadiq Sayid and Brigadier General Othman Awadallah, who had been held by the RSF for four years.

In January 2025, the national army regained control of Wad Madani, the capital of Al-Jazira State, and freed dozens of civilians who had been held in dire conditions.

These operations highlight the Sudanese National army's ability to rescue detainees from Daglo family captivity, especially with its ongoing military advances across various regions in Sudan.

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