Sudan Shield Forces deny gunfire in Wad Madani hospital standoff

November 29, 2025 (WAD MADANI) – The Sudan Shield Forces (SSF) said on Saturday they had defused a scuffle with army guards at Wad Madani’s main hospital, denying reports that shots were exchanged.

Local outlets had said SSF members who arrived to donate blood on Friday opened fire near the First Infantry Division headquarters after a row at the gate. The SSF called the clash a “limited physical altercation” that ended when military police escorted its personnel back to the base.

“No shots were fired; the situation was contained with wisdom and responsibility,” the group said in a statement.

The SSF was set up by former Rapid Support Forces commander Abu Agla Keikel, who defected to the army in October after helping the RSF seize much of Al Jazirah state in late 2023. Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan decreed in August that all pro-army militias must operate under military command and law.

Emergency Lawyers, a civilian legal group, said ultimate responsibility for any abuses rests with the army. “Command responsibility applies—if the army fails to prevent or punish violations, it is accountable,” executive-office member Mohamed Salah El-Din told Sudan Tribune.