Wad Madani under Scrutiny: Allegations of Violations Following Army Takeover
Sudanese activists have reported that members of the Sudanese army and allied militias have committed severe human rights violations, including killings and arrests, against civilians in the city of Wad Madani, central Sudan.
The Sudanese army entered Wad Madani on Saturday following the withdrawal of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which had controlled the city for over a year.
The violations carried out by armed men dressed in Sudanese army uniforms against the citizens of Wad Madani were justified under allegations of collaboration with the RSF. Such violations have been reported in many areas taken over by the army after the RSF’s retreat.
Videos circulated on social media depict armed men in military uniforms detaining civilians, blindfolding them, and escorting them away. Other footage shows corpses lying on the ground and brutal interrogations of a young woman accused of collaborating with the RSF.
Brutality and Barbarism
Elbasha Tbaeq, an advisor to the RSF, stated that “the retaliatory campaigns carried out by the army, Al-Baraa battalions, mobilized extremists, and mercenary movements in Wad Madani, targeting and killing specific ethnic groups, demonstrate the brutality and barbarism of these terrorist and extremist militias.”
In a post on the platform “X,” he added that “these violations reveal the true objective of this absurd war, ignited by the army under the direction of the Islamic movement led by Ali Karti.” He warned that “the city of Wad Madani will witness more killings, executions, and genocides of civilians.”
Ayoub Nahar, an advisor to the RSF commander, said that “the first day of al-Burhan’s militia in Wad Madani saw arrests and killings of civilians from Darfur based on their identity.”
On “X,” he added: “There are still those who believe we have a national army. The ‘Kizan’ (Sudanese Islamists) waste no time in exacting their vengeance. Anyone who thinks the Kizan understand the concept of the rule of law is deluded.”
He further claimed, “The Sudanese army is a criminal institution that has shed Sudanese blood since its establishment by the colonizers. It has remained unchanged and will never change. Anyone who supports this criminal army, directly or indirectly, is a key accomplice in the bloodshed of Sudanese people.”
He concluded, “For the first time, al-Burhan’s militia is directly defending the historical privileges and interests of the Nilotic elite. For the first time, Nilotic elites from both left and right have united to support their racist army in order to protect historical power and privileges. This is the plain truth, devoid of emotions and idealism.”
The leader of the Coordination of Civil Democratic Forces (Tagadom), Khalid Omar Youssef, warned the Sudanese army, following its entry into Wad Madani, against the dangers of succumbing to calls for revenge and retribution made by the Islamic militias involved in the conflict.
He stressed that “these calls will only deepen the fragmentation of the social fabric, which has already been severely damaged by the war, and will serve only those who wish harm upon Sudan.”
Speaking on the platform “X,” he stated: “The armed forces must not give in to calls for revenge stoked by various groups against innocent citizens who remained on the island after the army’s withdrawal. These people have no choice but to adapt to any circumstances.”
He added: “This war is nothing more than a criminal conflict with no benefit, where the victims are citizens who have no part in it. The only winners are those who use oppressive projects as a means to amass power, money, and weapons, with no mercy for the victims whose lives have been torn apart by this war.”
He further highlighted: “The only way out for Sudan is a fair and consensual peaceful solution agreed upon by all Sudanese. It should rebuild the country on new foundations, ending the legacy of violence, the imposition of projects through the barrel of a gun, the absence of justice, and impunity. The state must represent all its components with fairness and justice, supported by a professional and national army committed to its duties, free from political and economic interference.”
On Saturday, the Sudanese army announced its entry into the city of Wad Madani, which had been under the control of the Rapid Support Forces since mid-December of the previous year.
Following this takeover, fears emerged regarding possible retaliatory campaigns against residents who stayed in their homes during the period of Rapid Support Forces’ control.
Indeed, members of Islamic militias allied with the army shared videos on social media threatening those they described as “collaborators of the Rapid Support Forces” in Wad Madani, promising to kill them and dispose of their bodies in the Nile River.
A member of what is known as the “special operations”, a militia representing the secret security apparatus of the Islamic movement, stated that he had a list of more than 6,000 people in Wad Madani accused of collaborating with the Rapid Support Forces.
