Recurrent “slaughtering” incidents… Sudan on the brink of abyss
New brutal scenes circulating online reflect the abyss of violence and comprehensive chaos Sudan is heading towards amid the current war.
Activists shared a video claiming to depict Sudanese army personnel slaughtering a civilian, dismembering him, and waving his entrails in hysterical frenzy.
Hysterical state
Commenting on the incident, Rapid Support Forces commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo “Hemeti” said, “The world witnessed a horrifying video showing Sudanese army members and remnants of the defunct terrorist regime butchering a civilian, cutting his intestines, waving them in hysterical celebration of their heinous act.”
Hemeti added in a tweet on “X” platform, “This criminal act by these deviant terrorist militias, hijacking the army institution, isn’t the first nor the last; there’s a series of monstrous acts committed daily against innocents in the name of religion, jihad, and deceptive slogans.”
He continued, “We condemn and denounce these barbaric terrorist practices targeting innocents based on identity and tribe, affirming that these actions are not in line with the values and principles of the Sudanese people, conflicting with all norms, laws, and human values.”
He stressed that these terrorist crimes not only threaten Sudan’s stability but also pose a danger to the region’s security and stability, urging countries and organizations to condemn and confront them.
Hemeti concluded his post saying, “Our forces will not respond to such acts; they will adhere to the principles of international humanitarian law and Geneva Conventions. This war will be the last, ending in favor of the Sudanese people and achieving their aspirations for freedom, justice, and equality.”
Violence spiral
The incident sparked widespread anger within Sudan’s political and civilian circles. Deputy leader of the Sudanese Congress Party, Khalid Omar Yousif, stated, “The gruesome recordings documenting armed forces’ personnel enjoying flaying people and tearing their intestines have evolved from individual practices into recurring acts, solidifying a terrorist pattern tearing the country apart and leading it into an abyss from which it may never emerge.”
Yousif wrote on his official Facebook page, “These terrorist acts, devoid of any humanity, are condemned in the strongest terms, and perpetrators must be held accountable and not allowed to escape punishment.”
He added, “The continuation of this futile war will plunge our country into a deep abyss. We must all rise to stop it now without delay and confront those perpetuating it and engaging in its atrocities in all forms.”
For Sudanese writer and political analyst Adel Abdelwahab, “Killing and displaying bodies fall within the framework of terrorist behavior, leading to turning the war into a total war that destroys everything.”
Abdelwahab explained that “repeated videos of citizens being slaughtered on a racial basis target social fabric, fragmenting and tearing the country apart.”
He added that “the barbaric acts targeting innocent citizens based on tribal and identity grounds require immediate accountability and bringing perpetrators to justice.”
Field precedents
On April 23rd last year, activists circulated a video on social media platforms, claiming it showed Sudanese army personnel led by a brigadier carrying long sharp tools “machetes”, wandering amidst three civilian-dressed bodies that had been slaughtered on the outskirts of El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, amid a wave of chanting and glorification.
However, the Sudanese army hasn’t commented on this video until today, and “Al-Ain News” couldn’t verify its authenticity from independent sources.
On February 17th last year, the Sudanese army commented on another shocking video showing its soldiers celebrating by cutting off the heads of two elements from the Rapid Support Forces.
The army stated then that an investigation was ongoing into what it described as “shocking content”. Meanwhile, a statement by the spokesman for the Rapid Support Forces condemned what he said was a video broadcast by pro-army groups “showing the slaughter of 3 people on racial and regional grounds and the display of their bodies in a scene contrary to morals, religion, and laws.”
Since mid-April 2023, the army and Rapid Support Forces have been engaged in a devastating war, resulting in about 15,000 deaths and approximately 8.5 million displaced and refugees, according to the United Nations, in addition to immense infrastructure destruction.
