MP: Hundreds of Sudanese youths in prison for drugs

Hundreds of young Sudanese are serving sentences in the prisons of Omdurman, the twin-city of Khartoum, and El Fasher, capital of North Darfur on charges related to drugs and dealing in narcotics.

Independent member of the Sudanese parliament, Siham Hasan, reported the presence of hundreds of youths, including many students, in the prisons of Omdurman and Shala in El Fasher.

“Most of them are sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on drug-related charges,” she told Radio Dabanga. “They fell prey to criminal drug-dealing networks who exploit their poverty, and promise them a good income.”

Hasan called for “the formation of a mechanism to study the situation of the sentenced youths, and the possibility of an early release, so that the community can benefit from their abilities and energies”.

Increased drug abuse

A community sheikh reported from Zamzam camp for the displaced near El Fasher two years ago that drug abuse among students and young people was on the rise. He told Radio Dabanga that students, other youths, and militiamen are selling various types of drugs and cannabis in the camp “in front of the schools”..

“The militiamen and gunmen in the region are profiting from the absence of the rule of law. The area of El Fasher has become a transit point for drug trafficking from Darfur and the neighbouring countries to Khartoum,” he said. “In order to escape the reality of rampant insecurity, vast unemployment, and the absence of any prospects for the future, many young people seek refuge in drugs”.

Students in Khartoum increasingly report the sale of pills such as “tramadol, captagon, and akisol [popularly known as kharsha” by fellow students on campuses in the Sudanese capital.