Khartoum: A Sudanese medical group has accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of detaining 73 women and 29 children in the city of Muglad, located in West Kordofan state.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Sudan Doctors Network reported that the RSF forces rounded up the women and girls from the city of Babanusa and moved them to Muglad. This action was taken on the grounds of these individuals allegedly having relatives who serve in the Sudanese army. The detainees are reportedly being held under dire humanitarian conditions, with a lack of basic healthcare, food, and psychological support.

The Sudan Doctors Network emphasized that the detention of women and children represents a significant violation of international humanitarian law. Such laws and treaties explicitly prohibit the targeting of civilians or using them as leverage in armed conflicts. The group has placed full responsibility for the safety of the detainees on the RSF leadership, demanding their immediate and unconditional release. They also called for the safe reunion of these individuals with their families and urged for immediate access by humanitarian and medical organizations to provide necessary care.

Furthermore, the group has called upon the United Nations and other international and regional organizations to pressure RSF leaders to cease such violations and ensure the protection of civilians, especially women and children. The RSF captured Babanusa on December 2 after fierce battles with the Sudanese army, contributing to the ongoing conflict in the region.

The Kordofan states, comprising North, West, and South Kordofan, have experienced weeks of intense fighting between the army and the RSF. This conflict has resulted in the displacement of tens of thousands of people. Within Sudan's 18 states, the RSF controls all five states of the Darfur region in the west, except for parts of North Darfur that remain under army control. Conversely, the Sudanese army maintains control over most areas in the remaining 13 states, including the capital, Khartoum.

The conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023, has led to the deaths of thousands and the displacement of millions, marking a significant humanitarian crisis in the region.