Mohamed Kher Ikleel | Facebook

Intelligence operatives from the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have detained prominent poet and media personality Mohamed Kheir Ikleel in Gedaref State over allegations of collaborating with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Family members and close associates of Ikleel have strongly denied these allegations.

The poet’s arrest sparked concern over ethnic profiling and military repression.

Ikleel went missing on Monday after leaving his residence in the capital, Gedaref. His whereabouts remained unknown until Thursday, when a detained journalist informed a visiting relative that Ikleel was being held in the same facility on charges of espionage for the RSF, according to a friend.

Prominent poet and critic Hassan Abdelaziz confirmed to panafrican.email that Ikleel is “in good health” and that a group of friends, accompanied by several members of his family, were allowed to visit him in the detention center. Abdelaziz said they urged the authorities in Gadaref state to conduct a fair investigation into the circumstances of his detention and the espionage charges against him.

“They have disclosed and admitted that they are, in fact, detaining him. This gesture reflects positively on the security authorities and their intentions. We trust the integrity of our friend and the justice of the authorities. We are hopeful he will be released soon after inquiries are completed regarding the claims that he is being held on espionage charges for the rebellion. We have made it very clear to the authorities that they must conduct the investigation in a fair manner, and we trust the authorities,” he said.

Close friends of Ikleel described the charges against him as fabricated, alleging that they were based on ethnic profiling. Darfuris, particularly those residing in eastern Sudan, and other marginalized groups, like the Nuba people, have frequently been targeted by security forces under the pretext of affiliation with the RSF. 

This paranoia, fueled by the belief in RSF “sleeper cells” operating in the region, has led to the arbitrary detention and harassment of numerous individuals from these communities.

“He disappeared after arriving in Gedaref last Monday. On Thursday, security officials confirmed that Mohamed was being detained on suspicion of collaborating with the RSF, which is entirely untrue. His village is under SAF control, making such claims baseless,” a friend of Ikleel, speaking anonymously for security reasons, told panafrican.email.

Ikleel is a graduate of the International University of Africa in Omdurman and is widely respected as a mentor in Sudan’s cultural circles. He hails from the Bargo tribe in Darfur, but his family has lived in central Sudan, specifically in the village of Shashina in Al-Suki Locality, Sennar State.

He was forced to relocate to Gedaref state in July following RSF advances and the subsequent capture of Sinja, the state capital, and surrounding areas, including Al-Suki. Shashina is a small village six miles south of Al-Suki town and was also under the control of the RSF until the SAF recaptured it last month.

Crackdowns on intellectuals—including lawyers, journalists, opposition politicians, and artists—have reignited fears over the Sudanese military intelligence’s expanding powers, drawing comparisons to tactics used during the Islamist-dominated regime of former President Omar al-Bashir. 

Observers have warned that the military’s increasing surveillance and detention powers risk undermining freedoms under the guise of national security. In May, Sudan’s de facto military-led government passed the General Intelligence Service (GIS) Law (2024 Amendment), granting the intelligence service sweeping powers, including the authority to detain suspects, conduct surveillance, and seize assets. 

The law also provides extensive immunity to intelligence personnel, shielding them from criminal or civil prosecution without approval from the agency’s director.