Life Imprisonment and ExecutionsThe campaign to Report a Collaborator terrifies

Media outlets loyal to the Port Sudan government recently launched a campaign called “Report a Collaborator,” marking a disturbing escalation of incitement against civilians. Whilst a human rights organization described the phenomenon as “inflaming hatred amongst the Sudanese people,” local media outlets have documented renewed waves of violations within the context of the campaign.

According to human rights condemnations, the campaign is being utilized as a tool to promote treason, incite hatred, and encourage unsubstantiated reports against civilians. Many reports are based on “suspicions,” while others are malicious, seeking to settle personal disputes.

In a strongly worded statement, the Emergency Lawyers human rights group in Sudan shared that the campaign had become a “tool for persecuting civilians,” accusing the Sudanese Army’s Military Intelligence, the Security Service, extremist militias, and the Islamic Movement’s brigades of waging “arbitrary arrest campaigns accompanied by serious violations.” The group called for an immediate halt to the campaign and holding the individuals promoting it accountable.

Sudanese media outlets revealed that “vague” charges were brought against some detainees, who could face severe sentences including life imprisonment or the death penalty, following “show” trials. Others were subjected to extortion, forcing them to pay exorbitant sums in exchange for their release.

However, the most serious issue, according to the Emergency Lawyers statement, is that a significant number of the cases didn’t even reach the level of prison or trial -at the very least. Instead, “punishment was carried out swiftly and immediately,” as verified by the organization, which documented cases of field executions and enforced disappearances, particularly in Khartoum state.

An Old Charge, a New Campaign

The charge of “collaboration” is an old one, and has previously been arbitrarily exploited by Port Sudan Authorities against the Sudanese citizens. Suspects are arrested based on their regional or ethnic affiliation before being brought to sham trials, which legal experts believe promotes hate speech and ethnic discrimination, threatening the country’s unity and cohesion.

“Collaboration” is used in this context to refer to the act of working with or in affiliation with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Observers believe this charge primarily aims to harm the RSF’s popular base. Through it, the Port Sudan authorities also is free to express revenge for the declining popularity of their Commander-in-Chief, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, who faces explicit international accusations of committing war crimes.

The latest campaign, launched by media outlets loyal to the Port Sudan authorities, builds on a previous decision issued by Al-Burhan in (August 2023), to form an investigation committee that deals with any individual proven to have “aided” the (RSF).

The decision, which came after nearly four months of conflict, coincided with significant territorial losses for Al-Burhan’s forces, which observers considered to be “retaliation” against civilians, whose protection is “a responsibility that cannot be nullified by war.”

Days after the decision was issued, media outlets close to Al-Burhan reported that more than (15,000) charges had been brought against “collaborators” with the Rapid Support Forces. Which, human rights organizations -naturally- considered an “arbitrary and excessive” use of the law, arguing that the rule of justice represents the fundamental foundation for any sustainable settlement or true stability in the country.