HRW: The Army is committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Khartoum

Reports have revealed that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) has carried out extrajudicial killings and enforced mass displacement across Khartoum, according to human rights organizations and activists, with disturbing video footage circulating on social media, writes Matthew Ndeti.

Reports from Human Rights Watch (HRW), Amnesty International (AI), and local Sudanese advocacy groups indicate that the aforementioned acts amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Videos and photos reviewed by human rights organizations allegedly show summary executions of prisoners and civilians in neighborhoods including Burri, Al-Jerif West, Al-Sahafa, Mayo, Al-Azhari, and Al-Kalakla, as well as in Jebel Awliya.

Testimonies from residents and eyewitnesses describe scenes of enforced disappearances, mass arrests, and torture carried out by the Sudanese Armed Forces and its allied militias.

The Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP) condemned these actions in a statement, describing them as “A serious violation of national and international laws, fueling hate speech and violence, in addition to threatening the integrity of the social fabric by promoting a culture of taking justice into one’s own hands.”

The Party went on to state that “Such extrajudicial executions constitute war crimes under International Humanitarian Law, which prohibits the killing of prisoners and civilians without a fair trial, in accordance with the (1949) Geneva Conventions.”

The statement added that the systematic nature of the killings, particularly after the Sudanese Army assumed control of Wad Medani, indicates a deliberate policy to terrorize civilians and spread fear.

The Sudanese Congress Party shared that, “These acts constitute crimes against humanity under Article (7) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.”

Local human rights groups described the killings as ethnically and regionally motivated, likening them to similar violations committed by the Sudanese Army in Wad Medani two months earlier.

Sudanese legal experts warn that these actions could invite long-term repercussions, including deepening ethnic tensions and further destabilizing the country.

Activists as well as independent observers have documented videos showing arbitrary arrests, torture, and summary executions.

One video allegedly shows a person being thrown from a bridge and shot before falling into the water. Other footage shows mass graves and severely mutilated civilian bodies.

This violence comes amidst an intensified social media campaign by supporters of the Sudanese Army, justifying the killings by alleging that the victims collaborated with the Rapid Support Forces.

Pro-SAF accounts have posted unverified allegations accusing individuals of aiding the Rapid Support Forces, often accompanied by inflammatory language encouraging retaliatory violence.

The Sudanese Congress Party called for “An immediate halt to the unlawful killings that exacerbate violence and polarization,” and demanded those responsible be held accountable, “whether perpetrators or instigators.”

In addition to the executions, the Sudanese Army and allied its militias have been accused of forcing civilians to flee through utilizing “horrific oppressive practices” in areas including Ar-Rahad, Al-Dinder, and Canabi in Al-Jazeera state, as well as Al-Halfaya, Al-Ezba in Bahri, and Al-Hajj Youssef in Khartoum state.

A statement issued by local activists shared that “Hundreds of families have been displaced from eastern Khartoum without their possessions, seeking safe haven in areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces, particularly in East Darfur.”

Humanitarian organizations reported that those fleeing face dangerous conditions, as these conditions are combined with limited access to food, water, and medical assistance.

A number of videos have reported the mutilation of civilian bodies in the affected areas, raising concerns in regards to an imminent escalation of ethnically motivated violence.

Residents who managed to flee described scenes of looted homes, burned property, and the disappearance of young men suspected of opposing military rule.

The latest reports are published as international organizations protest to the United Nations (UN) allegations of the Sudanese military’s use of prohibited weapons against civilians.

The Emergency Lawyers human rights group described the violations in Darfur as “The deadliest since the conflict began two years ago.”

Humanitarian organizations also accused both the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces of deliberately targeting civilians, warning that the ongoing violence threatens to push Sudan further into chaos.

The Sudanese Congress Party warned that impunity for the perpetrators “Will only lead to a dangerous escalation that must be prevented before it is too late,” and called for urgent intervention “to stop this chaos and protect civilians from the grave violations that contravene all humanitarian and legal values.”