UN: Al-Burhan’s SAF carried out extrajudicial killings in Khartoum

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, expressed grave concern on Friday over reports that General al-Burhan’s forces (SAF) and allied jihadist militias have carried out extrajudicial executions of civilians in the Khartoum Bahri area.

Turk called for the immediate cessation of such actions and emphasized the need for independent investigations in line with international standards.

Alarming Violations

In a press release, the UN Human Rights Office reported that there have been multiple instances of summary executions, where civilians were killed without due process. These executions are attributed to SAF and allied jihadist militias following the military’s recapture of the Khartoum Bahri area on January 25.

According to verified information from the UN, at least 18 people, including one woman, have been killed in seven separate incidents since the SAF regained control. Many of the victims were from Darfur or Kordofan, and the killings occurred near the Jeli Refinery area.

Field Executions

The statement also highlighted disturbing reports from Khartoum Bahri, with video footage showing men dressed in SAF uniforms reading off a long list of names purportedly associated with the RSF, marking each name with the word “Zayel,” meaning “dead.”

Turk condemned the summary executions, noting that similar incidents earlier in the month, including in Omdurman, had also raised significant alarm. He stressed that such killings must not become normalized.

War Crimes

Turk reminded the international community that the deliberate killing of civilians or individuals who are no longer participating in hostilities constitutes a war crime. He reiterated the urgent need for all parties involved in the conflict to protect civilians and adhere to international humanitarian law and human rights law.

The UN Human Rights Office also expressed concerns about the increasing threat of violence against civilians, citing a video showing a member of the SAF’s Al-Bara Bin Malik Brigade threatening to slaughter residents of the Haj Yusuf area in East Nile, a district predominantly inhabited by people from Darfur and Kordofan.

Targeted Attacks

In North Darfur, the Abu Shouk displaced persons camp was once again targeted by SAF airstrikes on January 29, killing nine civilians, including two women and a child, and injuring at least 12 others. The UN condemned these targeted attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, calling them heinous and urging an immediate halt to such violence.

“The deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian objects is a grave violation of international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes,” Turk added, urging an end to incitement to violence and an immediate cessation of attacks against civilians.

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