Al Burhan’s militias kill 36 civilians in the latest massacre in Al Khawi

Sudanese media reported that the Brotherhood-affiliated Al-Baraa Ibn Malik militia along with the so-called “Sudan Shield Force” carried out a new horrific massacre in the area of Al-Khawi in West Kordofan, claiming the lives of (35) people, amongst which are female students.

Press reports indicated that the two militias assassinated Hadeel Ahmed Hussein, a student at Sennar University, in addition to the sheikh of the area’s tribe, home to the Rizeigat tribe, which originates from western Sudan.

Observers believe the latest massacre is part of a pattern of “revenge” operations carried out by militias allied with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) against those suspected of collaborating with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which is an incredibly “vague” accusation intended to intimidate.

In recent days, the Sudanese Army and its allied militias have carried out arbitrary arrest campaigns as well as extrajudicial killings in areas of Al-Jazeera state and Khartoum, based on accusations of “collaborating” with the Rapid Support Forces.

Al-Baraa Ibn Malik militia is known for mutilating the bodies of its victims. Its members have previously mutilated the body of a fighter, slicing his stomach open and removing his entrails, in repeated attacks aimed at terrorizing residents of the areas they approach.

The Sudan Shield militia is also known for its horrific massacres. In February, Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused the former of committing crimes against humanity, particularly in western Sudan. As it systematically looted civilian property -including food supplies- burned homes, deliberately killed civilians, and burned the bodies of some of its victims.