EL GENEINA – The Sudan Doctors Network said the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has detained Dr. Mubarak Bashara Ahmed, a physician at El Geneina Hospital in West Darfur, since he was taken from his home on Sept. 26.
The network said the doctor’s whereabouts and the reasons for his detention have not been disclosed, raising concerns over his safety.
In a statement issued on Oct. 10, the group held the RSF fully responsible for Ahmed’s safety and called for his immediate release or for him to be brought before fair and transparent legal proceedings that guarantee his legal and human rights.
The network urged local and international human rights and humanitarian organizations to intervene and follow up on the case, warning that abuses against medical workers threaten the continuity of healthcare services in conflict-affected areas.
The detention comes amid longstanding concerns over abuses against civilians and health workers in El Geneina and other parts of West Darfur since the war began in April 2023.
Human Rights Watch documented mass killings, sexual violence, looting and unlawful detention in El Geneina in a May 2024 report, attributing abuses to the RSF and allied militias. The organization also documented attacks affecting medical facilities, patients and healthcare workers.
In June 2026, the U.N. human rights office reported that at least 70 people were detained by the RSF in El Geneina during May, including humanitarian workers, amid broader concerns over arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance and the detention of civilians without legal safeguards.
The Sudan Doctors Network did not provide details about the specific RSF unit involved or the legal grounds for Ahmed’s detention. The RSF had not issued an immediate response to the allegations.
