HUDO Centre Date: 20th March 2018 No. H.K/UA/03/018 URGENT ACTION ARREST OF CIVILIAN BY MI IN AL-ABBASIYA, SUDAN On 5th March 2018, Mohammed Awad Bakheit was arrested by MI in Al-Abbasiya two days after the Kalenda murder incident. His whereabouts is unknown and he is suspected to be under torture. Mr. Mohammed Awad Bakheit, 45 years old, is a trader at Al-Abbasiya market. Previously, he was a member of Sudan people Liberation Movement – North (SPLM-N) On 5th March 2018 at 07:30 pm, four (4) Military Intelligence (MI) personnel in civilian clothes came on land cruiser vehicle to Mr. Bakheit’s house looking for him. They were informed that he had gone to the mosque. Immediately, they drove to the mosque where they waited for Mr.Bakheit to come out. On coming out, they arrested him and took him to unknown place. Since then, he is held in isolation whereby nobody has contacted him and he is suspected to be under torture. HUDO got reliable information that, the arrest of Bakheit is in relation to the incident at Kalenda village that occurred on 2nd march 2018 when the SPLA-N soldiers murdered three unarmed civilians. HUDO is very concerned about the situation of civilians in SK State particularly those that previously had SPLM-N membership. HUDO calls upon;  Sudan government to disclose the whereabouts of Mr. Mohammed Awad Bakheit and to allow family and lawyers visit.  Sudan government to end the state of emergency in conflict areas which enabled MI to arrest civilians at will.  The military authority in Al-Abbasiya to immediately release Mohammed Awad Bakheit or to transfer him to the courts of law if there is a genuine case against him. 1