With a Demonstrated Track Record of Massacres

Sudanese media outlets revealed information regarding the intention of the Brotherhood-affiliated “Al-Baraa Ibn Malik” militia to advance towards El-Fasher, North Darfur state.

Furthermore, the media quoted the militia’s Commander, Almusbah Abuzaid Talha, as saying that his forces would advance “with full force and confidence” towards El-Fasher “to carry out decisive operations to cleanse Darfur.”

Observers fear the possibility of new violations in the region, following the horrific massacres carried out previously in the region, which were -subsequently- condemned by international human rights organizations.

These concerns are also based on the notoriety of “Al-Baraa Ibn Malik” militia and its bloody record throughout the conflict. As it committed widespread violations against innocent civilians, the most horrific of which was the beheading of three young men in the city of El-Obeid, North Kordofan state, last February on charges of belonging to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). It has also been implicated in field executions in Khartoum and Darfur states.

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

In (October 2024), activists on social media circulated a video clip documenting a group from Al-Baraa Ibn Malik Brigade wandering amongst bloodied corpses.

Concerns are further heightened by recent reports revealing that the militia has received direct training from the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), focusing on the operation of drones, which have had a significant impact on the course of battles in the ongoing war and have contributed to a significant increase in the number of civilian casualties. This comes amidst international press reports revealing information regarding Tehran’s growing “advisory” military role in Sudan.

This militia also possesses incendiary bombs, which it has previously used in battles in Khartoum and Darfur states. However, direct killing at point-blank range remains its most horrific act of revenge, documented in video clips amidst loud chants of “Allahu Akbar” (Allah is Great) by the perpetrators. These scenes mimic crimes associated with the terrorist organization, particularly in Syria and Iraq.

The militia includes fighters from various military agencies of the Muslim Brotherhood, particularly the secret security service of the ruling Islamist Movement under former ousted President Omar Al-Bashir. At the time, it was known as “Popular Security,” a force with a bloody record, according to human rights activists.