Sudan’s army acknowledges killing of civilians after capture of Wad Medani

Apparent videos of summary executions began circulating online after key city was retaken from Rapid Support Forces

Soldiers of the Sudanese army celebrate after storming the city of Wad Medani. Reuters

Sudan’s national army has condemned "individual transgressions committed by some of its elements" and pledged to investigate following reports of extrajudicial killings after it recaptured a key city in Al Gezira state from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) at the weekend.

Footage purporting to show soldiers shooting unarmed civilians, in some cases execution-style, began circulating online after Wad Medani, the capital of Al Gezira, south of Khartoum, was retaken. In one video, soldiers are seen throwing a young man off a bridge and then shooting at him repeatedly as he falls into the water. They can be heard hurling insults and accusing him of collaborating with the RSF.

"We are committed to international law and whoever is proved to have been involved in these incidents will be held accountable," the Sudanese Armed Forces said in a statement released late on Tuesday after condemnation of the killings from within and outside Sudan.

Sudanese rights group Emergency Lawyers said: "The horrific scenes show arbitrary arrests followed by brutal torture and field executions, with civilians slaughtered in cold blood and others shot without trial."

It estimated at least 13 people were killed by soldiers and allied fighters in the Kambo Tiba area, with the attacks targeting ethnic groups originally from the Darfur region.

Although Darfur has witnessed some of the worst abuse committed since Sudan’s civil war began in April 2023, residents claiming Arab descent there are viewed as sympathetic to the RSF because its leader, Gen Mohamed Dagalo, comes from the impoverished region, also home to his tribal power base.

The Sudanese Co-ordination of Democratic Civilian Forces (Taqaddum), an opposition anti-war coalition led by former prime minister Abdalla Hamdok, also denounced what it called grave violations against civilians in Al Gezira and called on the army to bring those responsible to justice.

Mr Hamdok, an economist who served for two years as Sudan's prime minister after the military removed long-time dictator Omar Al Bashir in April 2019, has been a key figure in the country's pro-democracy movement.

The killings in Al Gezira were also condemned by Minni Minnawi, the governor of Darfur and leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement, whose forces are fighting the RSF alongside the army. In a statement, he called on the military to hold the perpetrators accountable.

The US special envoy for Sudan, Tom Perriello, also called for accountability for the “horrors” committed.

The Sudanese Foreign Ministry called the killings in Al Gezira "isolated incidents", and said the government and security forces were committed to international law.

"A thorough investigation will be conducted into the incident and those involved will be held accountable," the ministry said. "Strict directives have been issued to the security agencies to ensure such incidents are not repeated."

Army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, Sudan's internationally recognised leader, urged soldiers and citizens to refrain from overstepping the law, while stressing the importance of bringing RSF collaborators to justice.

"No man must take the law into their own hands, no man should take their own rights with their own hand," Gen Al Burhan said in a televised speech delivered to a crowd of thousands in Port Sudan on Tuesday.

"If you encounter someone who had committed any crimes against you in the past, turn them in to the authorities. We are not a militia, we are an army. That means we have order and we operate on the basis of laws."

This is not the first time the Sudanese army and allied militias have faced accusations of attacking civilians. Last month, the Al Bara Ibn Malik Battalion, linked to Al Bashir, was accused of killing dozens of civilians in the Halfaya area, north of Khartoum, after retaking it from the RSF.

The Special Duties Forces, fighting alongside the army, was accused of carrying out extrajudicial killings of civilians in the old Omdurman area hours after it was recaptured from the RSF last year. Human rights groups have called for investigations into alleged war crimes and abuse committed by both sides during the war.

The violence has taken a heavy toll on civilians, with tens of thousands dead, and millions displaced and facing dire humanitarian conditions.