Members of the Sudanese armed forces take part in a military parade marking Army Day in Gedaref on August 14, 2024. | Photo credit: AFP
Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday (August 29, 2024) accused both sides in Sudan’s more than 16-month-long conflict of committing war crimes, including rapid executions, torture and mutilation of bodies.
Since April 2023, Sudan’s military, led by de facto ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has been engaged in a devastating war with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that has killed thousands and displaced millions.
The New York-based human rights group said its analysis of social media images showed at least 40 people were mass-murdered, as well as 18 detainees tortured and abused.
It said nine of the 20 videos analysed showed the mutilation of at least eight bodies, most of which was carried out by people wearing military uniforms, although some were also in plain clothes.
“In all incidents, the detainees appeared to be unarmed, posing no threat to their kidnappers, and in many cases restrained,” HRW said.
“The forces of Sudan’s warring parties feel so immune from punishment that they repeatedly film themselves executing, torturing, inhumanly treating detainees, and mutilating bodies,” said Mohammed Osman, HRW’s Sudan researcher.
“These crimes must be investigated as war crimes and those responsible, including the commanders of these forces, must be held accountable,” he said.