Gruesome evidence of atrocities allegedly committed by Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Wad Madani has come to light, according to a report by The Washington Post and the London-based Centre for Information Resilience (CIR). The revelations follow the SAF’s recent recapture of the central Sudanese city from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Verified footage analyzed by the CIR shows horrifying scenes, including SAF soldiers forcing a man to bite a rope before hurling him off a bridge and shooting him mid-fall. Other clips depict corpses scattered across the city, tortured prisoners, and a soldier attempting to slit a captive’s throat.
Eyewitness Accounts of Violence
Witnesses report a wave of killings, detentions, and targeted violence in the aftermath of the SAF offensive. Survivors describe systematic executions and civilians being targeted based on suspected RSF affiliations. “The SAF targeted families of RSF recruits,” said one survivor. “When the RSF took over, they displaced people. When the army returned, some sought revenge.”
The violence is believed to have disproportionately affected the Kanabi community—migrant workers from South Sudan and Darfur with longstanding grievances over political and land rights. In one instance, 12 people, including children, were killed in an attack on Taiba Camp, home to Kanabi families.
Human Rights Abuses Documented
Shocking details from the footage include:
- A man shot 30 times as he begged for his life.
- Nineteen bodies left among wrecked vehicles, personal items scattered nearby.
- Forty-eight civilians found dead near a makeshift checkpoint, many executed with gunshots to the head.
SAF Acknowledges “Isolated Violations”
In response, SAF issued a rare statement condemning “individual violations” in Al-Jazirah State but denied systemic abuse. “The armed forces are committed to international law and will hold perpetrators accountable,” the statement read.
Wider Context of Conflict
The atrocities in Wad Madani are part of a broader war between SAF and RSF that erupted in April 2023, killing over 150,000 people and displacing more than 11 million. Both factions face accusations of war crimes, and international sanctions have been imposed on their leaders.
Communication disruptions in Wad Madani have made verifying accounts difficult, but reports suggest the violence reflects deep ethnic and social divides exacerbated by the ongoing conflict.
Regional Implications and Humanitarian Crisis
The war’s effects have spilled into neighboring countries, with Sudanese refugees in South Sudan facing retaliatory attacks. In Juba, local authorities imposed a curfew after a surge in violence against refugees.
Sudan’s conflict has plunged the nation into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with famine spreading and millions lacking access to aid. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently described the situation as “the world’s worst humanitarian catastrophe.”
The SAF atrocities in Wad Madani underline the escalating human cost of Sudan’s war, with no resolution in sight and the nation’s social fabric unraveling further.