A disturbing video circulating online appears to show a member of General al-Burhan’s forces (SAF) walking while carrying the severed head of a Rapid Support Forces (RSF) prisoner of war (POW) after his execution, in graphic footage that has sparked outrage and renewed scrutiny over conduct during Sudan’s ongoing war.
The video, which has spread widely across social media platforms, shows the soldier holding the head aloft as others nearby react to the scene.
The exact location and date of the incident have not yet been independently verified.
The disturbing imagery has reignited concerns over the treatment of prisoners and detainees during the conflict between the SAF and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023 and has since spiralled into one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.
Similar footage has surfaced before during the war. In early 2024, videos circulated online appearing to show SAF soldiers displaying severed heads of alleged RSF fighters, prompting widespread outrage inside Sudan. At the time, the SAF announced it had opened an internal investigation into the incident and said any personnel found responsible would face military prosecution if their involvement was confirmed.
The emergence of such graphic battlefield abuses has also renewed attention on the increasingly prominent role of Islamist militias fighting alongside the SAF. Several of these groups, including hardline brigades mobilised during the war, have been accused by analysts and Sudanese observers of promoting extremist rhetoric and operating with minimal oversight on the battlefield.
Their growing visibility has raised concerns that elements aligned with the SAF are not only contributing to escalating brutality in the conflict but are also linking Sudan’s war more closely to wider regional ideological and geopolitical networks.
The incident comes amid renewed scrutiny of General al-Burhan’s SAF and the Islamist factions fighting alongside it, after a recent video surfaced showing pro-army Islamist figures openly declaring support for Iran during the ongoing regional conflict. In the widely circulated footage, Sudanese Islamist commander Naji Abdullah vowed that fighters aligned with Sudan’s Islamic movement would stand with Tehran and could deploy forces if the United States or Israel launched a ground war against Iran.
Abdullah is associated with the Al-Baraa Ibn Malik Brigade, an Islamist formation that has fought alongside Burhan’s SAF during the country’s civil war against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The group is widely viewed as part of the network of Islamist militias mobilised in support of the SAF since the conflict erupted in April 2023.
The video drew controversy inside Sudan and prompted the Sudanese military to publicly distance itself from the remarks, saying the individuals in the footage did not represent the official position of the armed forces. However, analysts note that several Islamist battalions and volunteer forces continue to operate alongside the SAF on the battlefield despite such denials.
The controversy has also highlighted Sudan’s increasingly visible ties with Iran during the war. Tehran and Khartoum restored diplomatic relations in 2023 after years of rupture, and Iran has since been accused of providing military assistance to the Sudanese army, including drones and other weapon systems used in the conflict.
Observers say the re-emergence of Islamist factions aligned with the military — combined with Sudan’s renewed relationship with Iran — risks drawing the country further into broader regional power struggles, even as the war inside Sudan continues to produce mounting allegations of atrocities against civilians and prisoners.
