HUDO Centre Date: 24th April 2023 No. H.K/UA/03/023 URGENT APPEAL SAF ARRESTS MR. MAHANA IN TALODI, SUDAN On 19th April 2023, Mr. Mahana Hanai was brutally arrested by SAF soldiers in Talodi town. He has been kept incommunicado at the military base which raised fear that he could be undergoing torture. He was accused of smuggling fuel to South Sudan. On 19th April 2023, Mr. Mahana Hanai was arrested by a group of Sudan Armed Force (SAF) soldiers. At the time of arrest, Mr. Mahana was at a mechanical workshop fixing his tuktuk (motorbike) in Talodi market. During the arrest, six (6) SAF soldiers from the group who came on two vehicles physically assaulted Mr. Mahana, tied him with a rope and took him by their vehicle to Talodi military base. Since then, he has been held incommunicado, family and lawyers are not allowed to visit him. He is suspected to be undergoing torture. One of the SAF soldiers informed his family members that, “SAF accuses Mr. Mahana of smuggling fuel to South Sudan”. One of the eyewitnesses informed HUDO Centre that; “the arrest of Mr. Mahana was very brutal yet he did not resist the arrest. He was violently attacked and beaten by the soldiers”. HUDO Centre is deeply concerned about the security situation and the safety of civilians in conflict areas and calls upon:  SAF in Talodi to immediately release Mr. Mahana Hanai without any condition or to transfer him to the courts of law if there is any case to answer.  SAF in Talodi to stop arresting civilians.  SAF in South Kordufan State/ Nuba Mountains to investigate the arrest of Mr. Mahana and the conduct of soldiers during his arrest.