Al-Obeid Resistance Committees Condemn the Arrest of Their Members

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The Resistance Committees in the city of Al-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan State, have condemned the arrest of one of their members, Mohannad Hassan Issa, from the Karima neighborhood committees. They described the arrest as having taken place “without any legal justification,” according to two separate statements issued on Tuesday.

Complaints from Resistance Committees across the country have been rising in recent months, with activists reporting increasing security restrictions and arrests targeting political and civic actors since the outbreak of war in April 2023.

The Karima and Al-Abhath neighborhood committees explained that Mohannad was detained on Saturday, November 22, by what they described as a “Joint Security Cell” operating in Al-Obeid—an entity the committees say consists of members loyal to the former regime.

They added that Mohannad was transferred on Tuesday to what is known as the “Political Security Apparatus,” calling the move part of a “systematic campaign to silence free voices and restrict civic activity.”

The committees stated that this latest arrest is part of a broader pattern of targeting activists and suppressing dissent, pointing to a series of recent detentions. Those detained include activist Alaa Eldin Kabeer, who was held for six months, and Abdelwahab Ahmed Hashim Bub, head of the Trade Union Coalition, who was arrested about a month ago and remains in custody.

The Resistance Committees are grassroots neighborhood networks that emerged semi-clandestinely during protests against ousted president Omar al-Bashir. They played a central role in toppling his regime, and since the start of the current war have shifted toward humanitarian work through what are now known as Emergency Response Rooms.

In a separate statement, the Resistance Committees of West Al-Obeid expressed strong rejection and condemnation of Mohannad Hassan’s arrest, describing it as “a clear act of political targeting” aimed at silencing dissent and preventing the committees from fulfilling their role in conveying the needs and demands of residents.

The statement noted that Mohannad is one of the active voices within neighborhood coordination groups in the city and works to highlight the hardships faced by communities impacted by the war and the deterioration of services. It held state security authorities “fully responsible” for his physical and psychological safety.

The committees called on residents of Al-Obeid and citizens across North Kordofan to show solidarity with political detainees and to “stand with Mohannad and every activist arrested for speaking out,” urging public pressure for their release.

They stressed that “arbitrary arrests will not stop the revolutionary movement nor silence legitimate demands voiced by the people of the city.”

The committees also warned that continuing such practices would only “deepen tensions and fuel further instability at a time when citizens urgently need solutions — not security crackdowns.