Civilians accused of RSF ties killed in Sudan’s Al-Jazirah state
January 13, 2025 (WAD MADANI) – Rights groups and political factions accused the Sudanese army and allied militias on Monday of killing 13 civilians and detaining women in what they allege is an ethnic campaign against residents of “Alkanabi” settlements in Al Jazirah state.
Alkanabi are informal settlements located on the outskirts of large agricultural projects in central and eastern Sudan, inhabited mainly by agricultural workers and their families.
“The village of Kambo Tayba in the Um Al-Qura locality in eastern Al Jazirah was subjected to continuous attacks by the army and allied militias, resulting in the death of 13 people, including two children, and the arrest of civilians and women,” the Emergency Lawyers stated.
They asserted these attacks are part of ethnically motivated campaigns targeting groups in Al Jazirah accused of collaborating with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), particularly Alkanabi residents who face systematic criminalization, hate speech, and incitement.
The statement emphasized that the crimes, including extrajudicial killings, executions, kidnappings, humiliation, and torture, constitute flagrant violations of international humanitarian law and crimes against humanity.
“Allegations of civilian cooperation with the RSF are not based on any legal or material evidence, as the village of Kambo Tayba was completely devoid of any military presence or armed activity,” the statement added.
Some Al Jazirah residents actively criminalize Alkanabi residents, accusing them of involvement in the widespread looting of markets and collaborating with the RSF.
Last Friday, the Sudan Shield Forces led by Abu Aqla Keikil took control of the Um Al-Qura locality in eastern Al Jazirah before advancing with the army and other forces to recapture Wad Madani, the state capital.
Darfur Governor Minni Arko Minawi expressed deep concern over reports of a “massacre of Alkanabi people.”
“I confirmed that the victims were unarmed civilians and that the motives were revenge,” Minawi said on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Whatever the justifications, we will not accept any new massacre in the country.”
He called on military leaders to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice, preventing any lawlessness under the pretext of revenge.
Calls for Keikl’s accountability
The Central Committee of the Alkanabi Conference accused the Sudan Shield Forces of committing a massacre in Kambo Tayba, killing six people and kidnapping 13 women and men.
They claimed the forces stole crops, livestock, and personal property and burned Kambo Tayba, displacing residents. They demanded the government conduct an independent investigation into the violations, take action against those promoting hate speech, and bring those involved to justice, including Abu Aqla Keikl.
The Darfur Bar Association condemned the “serious violations practised in Wad Madani after its recapture by the army, the burning of Kambo Tayba, and the killing of several people, including children and the elderly.”
“Immediately after the army announced control of Wad Madani, the media broadcast videos, audio recordings, and pictures of violations against civilians in the city and neighbouring areas, including the burning of 13 individuals in Kambo Tayba and the promotion of the existence of 6,800 collaborators with the RSF,” they stated.
Government spokesperson Khalid Al-Ayser commented on social media circulation of a list of alleged RSF collaborators in Wad Madani, saying: “The state is a pioneer in the field of justice and law, and does not punish citizens based on rumours and suspicions or without fair trials.”
The Sudanese Congress Party said the militias supporting the army “committed crimes of burning two children, assassinating unarmed civilians through liquidation, assassinating women, and burning Kambo Tayba following the spread of incitement against Alkanabi.”
The party condemned the “horrific crimes” committed by the militias supporting the army against al-Kanabi residents, stressing that they are war crimes and ethnic cleansing crimes that deepen the social divide.
It held the government responsible for these crimes and the safety of Alkanabi residents and civilians in areas under its control.
Sudan Tribune could not obtain comment from the army or the Sudan Shield Forces on these accusations.