RSF Launches Major Security Crackdown in Nyala, Arrests Darfur Civil Administration Heads

The RSF launched a major security crackdown centered on Nyala, South Darfur, reported August 20, 2026, arresting the heads of civilian administrations across Central, East, and South Darfur on accusations of spying for the Sudanese army alongside financial and administrative charges, and detaining them in Nyala's Korea Prison. The wave began around August 14 when an armed RSF force detained Central Darfur's civil administration head, Abdulkarim Yusuf Othman, from his home in Zalingei following disputes over land appropriations, and expanded when RSF forces arrested East Darfur civil administration chief Mohamed Idris Khater in Al-Daein. RSF leadership also restricted access to Starlink satellite internet and closed internet cafes for stated security reasons following army drone strikes on RSF sites, while RSF intelligence conducted a wider wave of arrests targeting civilians and traders in Nyala's main market.