No. H.K/UA/03/023
24th April 2023
URGENT APPEAL
SAF ARRESTS MR. MAHANA IN TALODI, SUDAN
On 19th April 2023, Mr. Mahana Hanai was brutally arrested by SAF soldiers in
Talodi town. He
has been kept incommunicado at the military base which raised fear that he
could be
undergoing torture. He was accused of smuggling fuel to South Sudan.
On 19th April 2023, Mr. Mahana Hanai was arrested by a group of Sudan Armed
Force (SAF) soldiers.
At the time of arrest, Mr. Mahana was at a mechanical workshop fixing his
tuktuk (motorbike) in Talodi
market. During the arrest, six (6) SAF soldiers from the group who came on two
vehicles physically
assaulted Mr. Mahana, tied him with a rope and took him by their vehicle to
Talodi military base. Since
then, he has been held incommunicado, family and lawyers are not allowed to
visit him. He is suspected
to be undergoing torture.
One of the SAF soldiers informed his family members that, “SAF accuses Mr.
Mahana of smuggling
fuel to South Sudan”.
One of the eyewitnesses informed HUDO Centre that; “the arrest of Mr. Mahana
was very brutal yet he
did not resist the arrest. He was violently attacked and beaten by the
soldiers”.
HUDO Centre is deeply concerned about the security situation and the
safety of civilians in conflict
areas and calls upon:
·
SAF in Talodi to immediately release Mr. Mahana Hanai without any condition or
to transfer
him to the courts of law if there is any case to answer.
·
SAF in Talodi to stop arresting civilians.
·
SAF in South Kordufan State/ Nuba Mountains to investigate the arrest of Mr.
Mahana and the
conduct of soldiers during his arrest.
More information
Mr. Mahana Hanai (35 years old) is a tuktuk driver that used in a public
transport.
Talodi town is the capital town in Talodi locality of South Kordufan State/
Nuba Mountains and it is about 60 km
from the nearest border of South Sudan.
Currently Sudan is experiencing severe fighting between Sudan Armed Force (SAF)
and Rapid Support Force
(RSF). However, SAF soldiers in Talodi continue to mistreat civilians.
The affected rights: Personal Freedom and fair trial
·
Article 46 and 52 of Sudan Transition Constitutional Document 2019
·
Article 9 and 14 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights