Army chief Burhan orders probe into alleged Gezira killings

Sudan’s army chief has ordered an investigation into allegations that his troops carried out widespread atrocities after recapturing the state capital of Gezira from paramilitary rivals.

The move by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan comes after widespread concern that civilians – including foreign nationals – were killed after the capture of Wad Madani.

Neighboring South Sudan said on Wednesday it had summoned Sudan’s ambassador to protest against “the loss of lives among our innocent citizens.”

Sudan has been ravaged by war since April 2023, when fighting broke out between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Wad Madani, which is 140 kilometers (87 miles) south of the capital Khartoum, fell to the RSF about a year ago. The military regained control on Saturday.

The city serves as a strategic crossroads, connecting several states through key supply highways. It is also the closest major city to Khartoum.

A Sudanese human rights group accused the army of rampaging and killing at least 13 people in Camp Taiba, a village about 20 kilometers away.

The UN humanitarian chief in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, said she was deeply concerned by reports of retaliatory attacks against civilians in Gezira “based on alleged affiliation or ethnicity”.

The US special envoy for Sudan, Tom Perriello, called the reports “appalling” and urged the military and allied groups to investigate and hold those responsible accountable.

General Burhan said he had set up a committee to investigate the alleged killings at Camp Taiba and asked it to report back within a week.

He did not comment on concerns raised by South Sudan and whether the investigation would focus on alleged atrocities in other parts of Gezira.

South Sudan’s Foreign Ministry said it had received a “comprehensive report” from its embassy in Sudan “detailing the unfortunate events that have led to the loss of life among our innocent citizens, who maintain non-combatant status.”

The army has previously accused the RSF of hiring South Sudanese as “mercenaries” to fight on its side.

Videos of several incidents have been widely shared online on social media, including one showing a man in civilian clothes being thrown off a bridge and then shot by a group of men.

BBC Verify has confirmed that the video was filmed along the Hantoub Bridge over the Blue Nile River.

We’ve linked key elements in the video, including the railings and the paint on the railings, as seen in the video, to previous videos filmed on the bridge.

One of the men involved in the incident, who is carrying a Sudanese flag, is wearing clothing with a logo used by the al-Bara’a bin Malik Brigade which has been fighting alongside the Sudanese army in Khartoum and neighboring states.

Two other videos filmed elsewhere show at least 30 bodies of men in civilian clothes lying on the ground next to a wall.

BBC Verify has established, by comparing the objects seen in the video with satellite images, that the videos were filmed at a location northwest of Wad Madani, just meters from where the army appears to have ambushed the RSF fighters. .

It is unclear how the men died and whether they were killed before the bodies were collected there.

It is also not possible to identify them or whether they were affiliated with any of the fighting sides, since it is common for armed combatants not to wear uniforms.

Videos of the ambush, the intense exchange of gunfire and the consequences are also circulating.

The Sudanese military on Tuesday condemned what it called “individual violations” in some parts of Gezira state and promised those responsible would be held accountable.

Both sides have been accused of atrocities in the 20-month conflict.

The RSF itself was accused of carrying out retaliatory attacks in Gezira following the defection of its commander Abu Aqla Kaikal in October last year.

Kaikal was heavily involved in the operation that led to the army regaining control of Wad Madani.

Additional reporting by Yussuf Abdullahi, BBC Monitoring.