Sudan’s army accused of ethnic killings after recapturing strategic city. sudan war news
On 15 January, army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan announced an investigation into alleged abuses by his forces in Gezira state.
The Sudanese military also issued a statement addressing allegations of reprisal killings in Gezira.
“The armed forces condemn the individual violations that occurred in some areas of Gezira state following the (RSF’s) recent elimination of Wad Madani,” the statement said.
“At the same time, the military reaffirms its keenness to strictly adhere to international law and hold accountable anyone involved in any violations affecting anyone in the Kannabi region,” the statement said.
Sudanese political commentator and former journalist Dalia Abdelmonem told Al Jazeera that the army’s statement met all standards in terms of promising to bring accountability for abuses in Wad Madani. Nevertheless, to win international support to defeat RSF it will have to behave better.
Abdelmonem said, “This is a perfect opportunity for the army to show that it is a strong army and that it will only target RSF (advancing) forces, not civilians and that it will no longer carry out abuses, torture or summary executions.” “
“It would have to say, ‘We will put a stop to all that,'” he told Al Jazeera.
According to a recent report by the International Crisis Group, a think tank based in Brussels, Belgium, since the war, the RSF has demonstrated little ability to govern the areas under its control, with fighters frequently carrying out looting, kidnappings for ransom, and create chaos.
Therefore, many Sudanese, despite their strong concerns and traditional opposition to the military, view the RSF as a potential threat to the state, given its poor human rights record and its lack of a civilian authority after al-Bashir’s overthrow. Stemming from a refusal to hand over power. by a popular rebellion in 2019.
While the army has regained popularity during the war, Baldo is not optimistic that the investigation will lead to accountability for the atrocities in Wad Madani because human rights violations in the army are a systemic issue.
He referred to the beheading incident in February and said the military had promised to investigate the incident, but no one had been held accountable.
“If (I see) the commanders who oversaw the killings (of civilians) in Kanabi have been held accountable, I will be confident that (the investigation) has taken place. If I see the results I will believe it,” he told Al Jazeera.
