Muaz Abbas, President of the Sudanese Athletics Federation, recounts bitter details of his detention experience to Sudanhorizon: “They stormed the house violently, as if they were arresting a dangerous figure”

Although Muaz Abbas, the recently released President of the Sudanese Athletics Federation, needed a recovery period to process what happened to him and his companions, we approached him to reveal the scenes and secrets of the days he spent in the detention centres of the Al-Dagalo regime. These were few days in numerical terms but long in suffering—lasting nearly six months. The experience was so painful that its wounds would be difficult to heal or erase from memory.

Abbas, also a member of the Olympic Committee and a well-known sports and social figure, found himself blindfolded, moving between detention centers, deprived of his most basic human rights without justification or charges. He endured horrifying conditions, unsure of his fate, and emerged from these dark, infamous cells physically and emotionally scarred. He now hopes for the release of the thousands of detainees he left behind in these grim prisons—places that have become mass graves for the living, surrounded by the specter of death. Abbas continues remembering them all, praying for their salvation, maintaining his hope in God. The prison walls consumed his flesh, but they could not break his resolve.
At Sudanhorizon News, we decided to revisit some of these chapters of pain with Abbas, the most prominent sports figure to emerge from the rebellion’s detention centres. How was the overall experience?

Interview conducted by Azmi Abdel Razek for Sudanhorizon

First, let us say: welcome back and thank God for your safety. But let’s start from the beginning. Where were you when you were arrested?

I was in Bahri, working with the local community to help people secure water and set up soup kitchens. We initiated many humanitarian efforts with some youth volunteers, connecting the local community with support from inside and outside the area. Perhaps this is what bothered the rebellion forces.

How did they find you?

They went to my family home with three vehicles, interrogated the neighbourhood youth, and asked about me by name. This indicates they didn’t know me personally or my exact whereabouts.

Were you staying elsewhere?
Yes, due to these initiatives, I was always on the move. That day, I decided to leave the area and travel to Egypt to attend an invitation in my capacity as the President of the Sudanese Athletics Federation and then continue to Paris to represent Sudan. I had prepared for the trip but fell asleep at home, only to wake up to the violent raid. It was as if they were arresting a dangerous criminal. The force used was excessive and disproportionate to the task.

What happened next?
They searched the house chaotically, confiscated all my documents, and took me out into the street, putting me into a fully tinted vehicle. I didn’t know where they were taking me. We were a group, and they kept taunting us, making us say “baa-baa” like cattle. I asked them, “What do you gain from this? We are human beings.” Then they took us to a building with no ventilation. After a week, I realised it was in Kafouri.

Was the building one of their detention centres?
As I discovered by chance from scattered papers on the floor, the building belonged to a professor at King Fahd University. We had about five detainees with us, including someone from Al-Droshab.

How long were you held in the Kafouri building?
One week, and then they transferred us to another building. The first location was terrible, with rooms converted into overcrowded detention cells holding 20–30 people in each room.

Were there any restroom facilities?
There were none—only a bucket for drinking water and another for relieving oneself, in a humiliating manner, in full view of others. The food was scarce and irregular. Some days, there was something to eat, while other days, there was none. This led to severe health issues among the detainees due to hunger and the lack of medical care, even for those with chronic illnesses. Many died in custody.

Who was in charge of the detainees?
The area was controlled by Ali Al-Wafi and Wad Dafa’Allah. I think one of them was responsible for intelligence in Bahri.

Who interrogated you, and on what charges?
It wasn’t an interrogation in the usual sense. They were collecting information and verifying its accuracy. They asked me about my connection to television, and once they realised I was a sports figure and saw the widespread solidarity campaign for my release, their treatment of me changed. I sensed this from the tone they used when speaking to me.

How did you know what was happening outside?

We only received information from them or from new detainees. One of them told me that he saw my picture on Facebook. After a month and a half, they allowed me to shower and change my clothes.

Did you stay in Bahri the entire time?

After about two months, they transferred us to Riyadh. It was better than Kafouri, but every location had its positives and negatives. We spent the remaining long months in Riyadh.

Who was with you in the Riyadh detention centre?

Some were travellers who were arrested on the road under the pretext that they were mobilising or heading to Shendi to join the popular resistance. Many of them were elderly or ill and couldn’t endure the imprisonment, which led to tragedies there.

What was the purpose of the interrogation?

They wanted to understand the detainees’ backgrounds. For example, if someone was a doctor or worked in television or communications, they tried to make use of them. I remember once in Kafouri, they took me out of the room and asked me about officers, security personnel, or Islamic Movement (NCP) members in the neighbourhood. I told them there were none; everyone had left. Those who remained in the neighbourhood had nowhere else to go, so we were helping them. They didn’t like my answer.

What happened after you were moved to Riyadh?

Immediately after our transfer, they put us in the basement of a building that belonged to an organisation possibly affiliated with the Arab League. It was a cramped space with many detainees living in poor conditions. Among us were retired officers and employees, none of whom had been captured on the battlefield. They were all taken from their homes or during transit. I even saw the artist Safwat Al-Jaili in the Riyadh detention centre. The detentions were purely based on suspicion.

Were you allowed to pray?

We performed our prayers, even without water, using tayammum (dry ablution) on the walls. Many sick detainees couldn’t endure the situation, especially those with chronic illnesses, who died due to neglect or complications. Even the medications they provided were expired. In some cases, they moved the sick to the third floor, which was slightly better due to some ventilation, but most people hoped for release because they had committed no crime to justify their imprisonment. I noticed that if they found a picture of an officer or a message from a military person on your phone, they considered it a crime.

Was there any attempt to release sick detainees or provide medical care?

There was an initiative to release the elderly, especially retirees since they couldn’t use them for anything. However, this initiative failed. Later, another initiative targeted those with chronic illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, kidney failure, diabetes, and hypertension. Doctors approved the release of twenty people in the first batch in coordination with an organisation. I was among the first twenty.

How did the arrangements for your release begin?

A week later, they released us upon the signature of the area’s commander-in-chief. I learned that this area was under Issa Bushra’s control, and he signed the release order. However, the organisation was delayed, and they kept telling us daily that the delegation would arrive the next day. This stalling lasted for over two months. During this time, some detainees in the first batch died because they had chronic illnesses. We repeatedly talked to the officers about this issue.

What happened next?

One day, an officer who often worked alone spoke to us and said our release was imminent. The following morning, a soldier came and told me to come with him. He said, “Today, eight of you are set to be released, especially those from Khartoum.” I was among this group. It all happened so quickly that I could hardly believe it. It was like an answer to prayers that facilitated our release from those infamous detention centres. Thanks and praise be to God.

How were you transported to a safe area after your release?

A single vehicle took us to the central market, which is a transportation hub where you can go anywhere you want. I remember that the first batch of released detainees grew to ten because we informed them about two old men—one suffering from severe haemorrhoids and the other with respiratory issues. Five individuals from the group of twenty remained, while five had died in custody.

How was the overall experience from a psychological perspective?
What happened to us happened to the entire nation. Some were martyred, some detained, some assaulted, and others displaced. In the end, it is the price we pay for our homeland. It was destined for us to bear it in this way. What matters to me now is the release of the remaining detainees. I consider myself fortunate because many died in custody, most of them civilians. Even the military personnel were retirees. I will focus all my efforts on releasing the remaining detainees, as their numbers are very large.