HUDO Centre Date: 4th August 2025 No.: H.K/PS/25/025 PRESS STATEMENT (For Immediate Release) SAF ARRESTED MR. ABDALLA ALI IN ALERI, SUDAN On 12th July 2025, Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) arrested Dr. Abdalla Ali from his workplace in Aleri Sharq and took him to SAF barracks in Aleri Ghareib. He was arrested because of his opposing views to the misuse of cyanide in the gold mines. Dr. Abdalla’s colleagues exerted pressure by protesting and he was released on the same day. On 12th July 2025 at around 9:00 AM (Sudan Local time), a group of Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) soldiers arrested Dr. Abdalla Ali Musa Tay from his workplace at Qatre Al-Nada Medical Center in Aleri Sharq/ East and took him to the SAF barracks in Aleri Ghareib/ West. The arrest happened after Dr. Abdalla had expressed opposing opinion to the reckless use of cyanide in gold mines which affects people, animals and environment. Immediately after the arrest, Dr. Abdalla’s fellow doctors in Aleri Sharq closed their hospitals and clinics (public and private) and rushed after him to Aleri Ghareib. They were also joined by other medical doctors in the protest and they jointly submitted a letter to the SAF commander in Aleri Ghareib declaring the closure of health facilities in protest so that their colleague (Dr. Abdalla) to be released. Later in the afternoon (same day), Dr. Abdalla was release on condition that he should not criticize SAF. Dr. Abdalla was released after the SAF commander in Aleri Ghareib informed SAF commanders of Talodi and Abu-Jibaiha that Dr. Abdalla’s arrest prompted the strike of medical workers which will undermine the health services in Aleri locality. The SAF commander of Talodi is the one that had issued the arrest warrant. The SAF commandant of Abu-Jibaiha is the overall chief of East South Kordufan State division of which the two areas fall under his command. HUDO Centre obtained reliable information indicating that the joint forces and Sudan Shield Forces militias fighting alongside the SAF acquired mining sites in the three (3) neighboring localities of Aleri, Talodi and Gadeir and that they use cyanide inappropriately. The information obtained also show that Dr. Abdalla was arrested after activists had indicated that he is one of them and because members of the public collectively rejected the use of cyanide.