Field sources have reported to DNHR that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have imposed strict restrictions on humanitarian organizations operating in Tawila camp, Tawila locality, North Darfur. The RSF communicated these restrictions through official letters sent directly to organizations in the field.

RSF Orders Relocation to Besieged El Fasher

The letters require organizations to either relocate to El Fasher or coordinate all operations from there. The RSF has barred field teams from moving freely within Tawila camp. It has also blocked their access to neighboring camps entirely.

Humanitarian organizations have formally rejected these measures. El Fasher is currently under RSF siege. Aid agencies and field staff widely consider it unsafe for humanitarian presence. Directing organizations there makes compliance not only operationally impossible but a direct threat to humanitarian personnel.

Thousands of internally displaced persons have fled surrounding areas. They are currently sheltering in Tawila camp and nearby locations. Their needs already exceed available response capacity, and these restrictions are making that gap worse.

Aid Workers Detained, Equipment Confiscated

DNHR has documented two separate incidents involving the detention of humanitarian personnel in the area.

RSF forces detained staff members from the WR organization last week. They confiscated the staffs’ phones and Starlink devices and transferred them to El Fasher. Authorities released them following investigation. The staff have since returned to Tawila camp and continue their work in Al-Salam locality, North Darfur.

RSF forces also detained staff members from the MLM humanitarian organization. They held them for three days before releasing them after questioning.

Impact on Displaced Populations

DNHR’s documentation confirms that these restrictions are directly undermining the delivery of essential services to displaced populations in Tawila. If the RSF sustains these measures, humanitarian response capacity in the area will decline significantly. Displaced communities will face deteriorating health conditions and a widening gap in unmet needs.

Humanitarian access must be safe, unconditional, and immediate. The detention of aid workers and the confiscation of communication equipment are violations that DNHR will continue to document and report.

The Darfur Network for Human Rights (DNHR) monitors and documents human rights violations and humanitarian access restrictions across Sudan and Darfur.