KHARTOUM – Sudan’s committee overseeing preparations for a prisoner and detainee exchange with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said it is continuing coordination with the United Nations as it finalizes arrangements for the proposed exchange.
The committee, established under Transitional Sovereign Council Decision No. 270 of 2026, said during its weekly meeting that members reviewed progress in identifying and classifying detainees, preparing official records and data lists, and drafting its final report.
It said discussions also covered implementation plans for the exchange process and post-release support measures for detainees, adding that it would continue working with relevant authorities to complete preparations and submit its final report within the scheduled timeframe.
The committee’s work comes amid international efforts to facilitate humanitarian measures between the Sudanese government and the RSF, including discussions on detainees held since the war erupted in April 2023. Thousands of soldiers, fighters and civilians are believed to have been detained by both sides during the conflict.
While no comprehensive prisoner exchange has yet been carried out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF, limited humanitarian transfers have taken place. In September 2023, the SAF said it handed over 30 detainees under the age of 18 to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which was tasked with transferring them to Sudan’s National Council for Child Welfare before reunification with their families.
The army said the transfer complied with international humanitarian law and child protection standards. The handover remains one of the few publicly announced examples of cooperation involving detainees since the conflict began, although broader exchange arrangements have yet to materialize.
