20.04.2006 - Source: Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation

Children and babies detained with their mothers ("10th European Country of Origin Infomation Seminar Budapest, 1 - 2 December 2005: Final Report on Sudan") [#49770],  [ID 18921]

"Very often women, particularly IDP women or those who are detained for alcohol brewing, are imprisoned together with their children. Small children, as young as four or five years old, even babies, are being detained with their mothers without any special provisions."

Document(s): Open document

04.2005 - Source: UK Home Office

Women in Prison ("Country Report - April 2005") [#31986],  [ID 12291]

"5.65 USSD 2004 recorded that "Male and female prisoners were held separately." [3g] (Section 1c) SOAT's 2003 report included information in varying detail on the living and health conditions in each of the prisons on which it reported. [23c] The report recorded that, in Omdurman, blankets and sheets were not provided by the state and the prison authorities depended on charities to provide them. [23c] (p7) SOAT also recorded that "Prisoners suffering from poor health are relocated to Al Tigani Al Mahi hospital on Omdurman or the Central mental hospital in Kober (a department of the prison administration)." [23c] (p7)

5.66 SOAT's 2003 report stated that in Kousti women's prison "There are 45 inmates along with twelve accompanied children. Between the hours 5pm to 5 am only one area[,] a room is provided for them to reside in, this room does not have space for a quarter of the inmates….There are only 4 beds; these are the private property of some 4 persons of the inmates." [23c] (p13) The report also noted that, in Kousti prison, "The prisoners' ankles are chained by manacles almost always, especially when they are visiting a hospital, they may even be chained together as a group." [23c] (p14)"

Document(s): Open document

28.02.2005 - Source: US Department of State

Female prisoners held separately from men ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2004") [#29477],  [ID 12292]

"Male and female prisoners were held separately."

Document(s): Open document

01.04.2000 - Source: Danish Immigration Service

Conditions for women in Omdurman central prison ("Report on the fact-finding mission to Cairo (Egypt) and Geneva (Switzerland) (29 January to 12 February and 3 to 7 March 2000)") [#14024],  [ID 12293]

"Nhial referred to a special women's prison in the Omdurman district of Khartoum, known as Omdurman central prison, which is notoriously overcrowded. Fathelrahman confirmed details of conditions for women in Omdurman prison., pointing out that there are currently women imprisoned there along with their children. He had no confirmed reports of women being subjected to any serious abuses there, but could state that prison staff make use of women prisoners for purposes including domestic help in their offices and homes. It is thus quite normal for women prisoners to be used by prison officers for a variety of household chores.
Nhial reported that women arrested for brewing risk being punished by flogging, or being raped while in detention, and there are also instances of them being forced to convert to Islam. Reports have been heard of some women being intimidated into paying fines for their alleged misdeeds, or else face corporal punishment by flogging or imprisonment. Even women with young children risk being imprisoned along with their children. There have been deaths among such children as a result of malnutrition and poor conditions in the prison generally.
The UN Special Rapporteur, Leonardo Franco, states in his October 1999 report that in May 1999
he learned that 827 women charged with illegally selling alcohol were released from Omdurman
prison after 16 children of inmates reportedly died owing to poor health conditions and overcrowding in the prison generally (Special Rapporteur, October 1999, p. 17)."

Document(s): original document