HUDO Centre Date: 4th March 2021 No. H.K/PS/16/021 PRESS STATEMENT MILITARY ARRESTED CIVILIANS INCLUDING CHILDREN IN GUISAN, SUDAN On 1st March 2021, SAF in Guisan arrested four civilians including children, tortured and intimidated them. They were released the following day under pressure from the public but their belongings were confiscated. On 1st March 2021, four civilians including children came from Amoura to Guisan town with their donkey carrying baobab to sell it at Guisan market. They were arrested from the market by Sudan Armed Force (SAF) lieutenant/ Abubaker Tayalla and taken to the town’s military base where they were detained and tortured. The following day (2nd March 2021), the youth from Guisan resistant committee got to know about the incident and reacted immediately by inquiring about them (detained people) from the military commandant colonel/ Mohammed Eldaw. The commandant replied that “those people came from an area of rebels that have no peace agreement with us”. The youth committee informed him that, there is a standing order from the former state governor allowing them to come and transact in the market, but he refused to release them. For this reason, the public gathered and demonstrated in front of the military gate which forced the commanders to release them. But, SAF confiscated their belongings like baobab sags and money (about $200). The people who were arrested; the adults are Mr. Mustafa Badai (24 years old) and Mr. Abdelgayoum Omer (26 years old), the children are Amir Yahya (8 years old) and Mergani Aboud (9 years old). Guisan is the main town of Guisan locality in Blue Nile State. Amoura is a mountain area under the control of Sudan People Liberation Army – North (SPLA-N) in a distance of 25 km northeast of Guisan town. HUDO is very concerned about the situation of civilians in conflict areas and calls upon Sudan government to:    Hold to account SAF commandant in Guisan for civilians arrest, mistreatment and confiscation of personal belongings. End the state of emergency in conflict areas which enables MI to arrest civilians at will. Respect the constitutional rights of citizens and respectits international obligations End: For more information, please write to hudo2009@gmail.com