Sudan army accused of ethnic killings after capture of strategic city | News about the war in Sudan

On January 15, army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan announced an investigation into alleged abuses by his forces in Gezira state.

The Sudanese army also released a statement addressing allegations of reprisal killings in Gezira.

“The armed forces condemn the individual violations committed recently in some areas in Gezira state following the (RSF's) purge of Wad Madani,” the statement said.

“At the same time, the military reaffirms its strict adherence to international law and its willingness to hold accountable anyone involved in any violations affecting anyone in the Kanabi area,” the statement added.

Dalia Abdelmonem, a Sudanese political commentator and former journalist, told Al Jazeera that the army's statement met all the requirements of a promise to hold accountable the abuses at Wad Madani. Yet it must behave better in the name of securing international support to defeat the RSF.

“This is a perfect opportunity for the army to show that it is a bonafide army and will only target the RSF (moving forward) and not civilians and that it will no longer abuse, torture or carry out summary executions,” Abdelmonem said.

“It has to be said, 'We're going to put an end to all this,'” she told Al Jazeera.

Since the war, the RSF has demonstrated little ability to govern territories under its control, with fighters frequently looting, kidnapping for ransom and wreaking havoc, according to a recent report by the International Crisis Group, a think tank based in Brussels, Belgium.

Many Sudanese therefore view the RSF as an existential threat to the state, despite their acute misgivings and traditional opposition to the army, which stems from its poor human rights record and refusal to fully hand over power to civilian authorities after al-Bashir was ousted since a popular uprising in 2019

Although the army has regained popularity during the war, Baldo is not optimistic that the investigation will lead to accountability for the atrocities committed at Wad Madani, as human rights abuses are a systemic problem in the army.

He mentioned the beheading in February and said the army 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 are held accountable, then I will believe that (an investigation) happened.” I will believe it if I see the results,” he told Al Jazeera.