By Dayo Oyinlola

As the military conflict in Sudan between the warring factions continues, human rights violations against civilians are escalating amid an economic crisis that, according to United Nations reports, has pushed the country to the brink of famine.

Following the army’s recapture of certain areas in the capital, Khartoum, last month, human rights reports have documented extrajudicial executions targeting civilians accused of collaborating with the army’s rivals.

In an increasingly dire reality, the army and extremist armed factions allied with it have taken control of thousands of civilians trapped in Khartoum, carrying out widespread retaliatory operations. These include mass arbitrary detentions and inhumane conditions of imprisonment. A similar pattern was observed in Wad Madani after its recapture, where over 2,000 citizens were detained without legal justification.

Sudanese activists have circulated videos showing summary executions carried out by the army in the Burri district of eastern Khartoum. These executions targeted civilians based on ethnic and regional affiliations, particularly those from western Sudan.

Extrajudicial killings.

The legal advocacy group “Emergency Lawyers” has confirmed that these executions were not limited to Burri but also took place in areas such as Jaref West, Al-Sahafat, Mayo, Al-Azhari, and Al-Kalaklat. The group added that these crimes are being promoted and justified through disinformation campaigns led by army-affiliated activists to provide propaganda cover for them.

The organisation stated that accusations of collaboration with the Rapid Support Forces, RSF, are being used as a pretext to commit these crimes, constituting a severe violation of both national and international laws. These actions pose a significant threat to social cohesion and fuel hate speech and violence.

According to international law, these violations are classified as war crimes. Their repeated occurrence on a large scale raises concerns that they may amount to crimes against humanity.

Despite the RSF’s willingness to engage in peace talks and negotiations, the army has rejected this path, opting instead for military escalation to prevent any return to the political process and calls for a civilian-led government.

The RSF had opposed the army’s coup against the civilian government of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok in 2023, prompting the army to launch a brutal campaign across Sudan.

Ongoing atrocities
Mohamed Kandasha, spokesperson for the South Belt Emergency Room, reported that 20 civilians were killed in the past few days in various areas of southern Khartoum. These include eight in Al-Inqaz, seven in Salama Al-Kababish, three in Al-Madina Al-Khairiya, and two in the Mayo district. According to Kandasha, the perpetrators were soldiers from different army units, with some killings driven by personal motives.

International and domestic condemnations.

Condemnations of the army’s violations continue to mount. The “Tasis” coalition has called on the international community to act urgently to document the crimes and prosecute the perpetrators through international judicial mechanisms, warning that continued silence will only perpetuate impunity.

The coalition further asserted that a systematic plan is in place to dismantle Sudan’s social fabric through organized ethnic cleansing. It urged political and civil forces to unite against what it described as “bloody terrorism.”

Repeated pattern of bloodshed
Khartoum is not the only city suffering from such violations. Similar executions were previously reported in Bahri, Wad Madani, and Umm Rawaba, where a 70-year-old teacher was brutally executed.

On January 31, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed “deep concern” over extrajudicial executions reportedly carried out by Islamist militias allied with the army following its takeover of Khartoum Bahri.

A widely circulated video showed army personnel and members of the “Al-Baraa bin Malik Brigade” reading out a list of names alleged to be RSF collaborators. After each name, they repeated the word “Zail,” signifying execution.

The UN official concluded his statement by stressing the urgent need to end these crimes immediately and conduct independent investigations in line with international standards, emphasizing that killing must not become normalized in Sudan.

Distractions from the humanitarian crisis.

Observers warn that certain military leaders are attempting to divert both domestic and international attention away from widespread violations and the dire humanitarian crisis. They do so by repeatedly accusing neighboring and regional countries of hostility toward Sudan in an attempt to externalize the crisis and shift focus from the horrific abuses and the suffering of the Sudanese people.

According to UN reports, 15 million Sudanese have been displaced internally and externally, while over 30 million are facing severe food insecurity.

Oyinlola is a public affairs analyst