A Sudanese human rights group says it has received alarming information suggesting that dozens of detainees may have been killed inside a detention facility operated by the Sudanese Armed Forces’ First Infantry Division in Wad Madani.
The Al Jazira Sudanese Human Rights Observatory said in a statement on Monday that preliminary information pointed to a suspected mass killing of detainees at the military facility, with allegations indicating the possible involvement of regular forces.
The organisation stressed that the allegations remain under investigation and have not yet been independently confirmed.
Since the outbreak of Sudan’s war in 2023, the observatory said it has documented cases of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance in Wad Madani, including people whose whereabouts became unknown after they were taken into custody.
Among the missing is political activist Bakri Wad al-Sayeh, whose fate remains unknown alongside that of several other detainees.
The observatory said the preliminary information was based on testimonies, witness accounts and other evidence that is still being examined and documented in accordance with professional verification standards.
According to the group, the available information contains serious indications that a number of detainees may have been subjected to extrajudicial killings inside the SAF-controlled detention centre.
It warned that, if confirmed, the alleged acts would constitute grave violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law and could amount to crimes requiring individual criminal accountability.
The observatory said its verification process was continuing and that it was assessing the information independently, accurately and impartially to establish facts supported by evidence.
It called on the relevant authorities to immediately open an urgent, independent, impartial and transparent investigation into the allegations.
The group also demanded the immediate disclosure of the whereabouts and conditions of all detainees and forcibly disappeared people across Al Jazira state, particularly those held in detention facilities in Wad Madani.
It urged authorities to allow families access to information about their detained relatives and to take immediate measures to protect potential evidence and preserve any suspected crime scene from interference or tampering.
The observatory further called for independent national and international mechanisms, including fact-finding bodies, to be granted access to the alleged site and permitted to conduct professional and impartial investigations.
It said all those found responsible should be held accountable, including individuals directly or indirectly involved, those who issued orders, concealed evidence or failed to prevent the alleged crimes.
