The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has voiced deep concern over what he described as “credible reports” of extrajudicial killings of civilians by the Sudanese army, following its recent recapture of the capital, Khartoum.
In a strongly worded statement, Mr. Türk called for a thorough investigation into the alleged killings, which reportedly occurred in several areas of the city. He said civilians were summarily executed on suspicion of collaborating with the rival paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Horrific videos have surfaced on social media in recent days, allegedly showing armed men executing unarmed civilians in public. While the BBC has not independently verified these videos, the UN Human Rights Office said it considers them credible evidence of serious human rights abuses.
According to Mr. Türk, some footage shows the perpetrators claiming they were punishing RSF supporters. He urged the Sudanese Armed Forces’ leadership to urgently halt the arbitrary deprivation of life, warning that extrajudicial killings violate international human rights and humanitarian law.
“Those responsible, including commanders, must be held accountable under international criminal law,” he stated.
The Sudanese army, which has been engaged in a brutal civil war with the RSF for nearly two years, has not yet responded to the allegations. Both sides in the conflict have faced accusations of grave human rights violations throughout the war, which has led to one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.
This is not the first time the army has been accused of abuses in areas it has retaken from the RSF. Previous allegations emerged from the states of Sennar, Gezira, and parts of North Kordofan. In January, army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan established a committee to investigate abuses in Wad Medani, the capital of Gezira state, though its findings remain unpublished.
In response to those allegations, the United States imposed sanctions on Gen Burhan. RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, has likewise faced sanctions over alleged war crimes committed by his forces, including torture, executions, and ethnic killings, particularly in the Darfur region.
The Sudanese military has previously admitted to “individual” violations by soldiers but denied systemic abuse.
The battle for Khartoum ended last month with the army’s victory after nearly two years of RSF control. However, the RSF has vowed to continue fighting, threatening to open new fronts in the northern regions of the country.
Despite the army’s victory in the capital, the people of Sudan continue to grapple with fear, loss, and uncertainty, as the conflict shows no sign of ending soon.
