JUBA – At least 27 South Sudanese nationals were killed between January 11 and January 15 in Sudan’s Al Jazirah State by militias allied with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), eyewitnesses and South Sudanese nationals in Sudan told Sudans Post.
On Saturday, the SAF and its affiliated militias announced they had seized control of Wad Madani, the capital of Al Jazirah, ending more than a year of control by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which had taken over the city on December 18, 2023.
Despite the ongoing war in Sudan, hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese have remained in the country, with some joining the RSF in its fight against the SAF. Al Jazirah had been considered a safe haven for South Sudanese refugees prior to the RSF’s expansion into the central Sudan region.
Sudanese authorities have long harbored suspicions toward foreigners, including South Sudanese, often labeling them as “sleeper cells” of militia groups. Following the SAF’s recent recapture of Al Jazirah, reports emerged of widespread attacks targeting South Sudanese and Sudanese citizens from western and southern regions of the country.
Eyewitnesses in Taiba village, located in Eastern Al Jazirah Locality, described brutal assaults on farmlands – locally known as Kombo (plural Kanabe) – targeting South Sudanese and Sudanese farm workers.
Nineteen farm workers were reportedly rounded up at two farms and beheaded by militias linked to the Sudan Shield Forces, led by Abu Agla Keikel, a former RSF commander in Al Jazirah who has since allied with the SAF and now commands the Al-Butana front.
“They were innocent farm workers just trying to earn a living. Nineteen lives were brutally taken in a matter of moments, and for what reason?” said an eyewitness from Taiba village. “This kind of violence against civilians is inexcusable and must be stopped.”
Among the victims were three elderly men, while the remaining victims were aged between 30 and 45. An additional eight South Sudanese were reportedly arrested in Taiba and executed on the outskirts of the village.
“Eight South Sudanese civilians were arrested in Taiba village on Monday and later executed on the outskirts of the town by armed militias,” a community leader in Taiba reported. “These attacks appear to be targeted, with South Sudanese nationals being singled out during the raids.”
Disturbing videos circulating on social media appear to show SAF soldiers killing, mutilating, and arbitrarily arresting South Sudanese refugees. Many of these victims had been working on farms after fleeing conflict in other parts of Sudan.
South Sudanese citizens have voiced outrage over the alleged human rights abuses committed by SAF forces in Wad Madani.
“What pains me most is that the army was killing them even after manifesting that they are South Sudanese,” said Albino Kuek, a South Sudanese citizen and spokesperson for the South Sudan Football Association (SSFA).
Kuek emphasized that South Sudan has hosted numerous Sudanese civilians since the conflict began nearly two years ago, offering them safety and community support.
“They have never been subjected to any inhumane treatment like what we are now seeing in El Gazira,” he said.
He condemned the attacks as “corrupt, racist, and too devilish,” referencing South Sudan’s historical struggle for independence from Sudan.
“We became an independent nation because we refused to be subjected to the same sufferings the innocent civilians are now going through right now in the hands of the government army,” he added.
Another South Sudanese citizen, Bol Gai, criticized the South Sudanese government’s response to the killings.
“South Sudanese nationals are being butchered by SAF in Madeni, Sudan, and the government [South Sudan] taking I own time [to respond],” Gai said.
In response to the allegations, Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement reaffirming its commitment to the rule of law and international humanitarian principles.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterates that the Government of Sudan is committed to the rule of law and the principles of international humanitarian law, and do not tolerate or condone any violation or attacks on innocent people and taking the law into one’s own hands,” the statement read.
The government acknowledged an “isolated incident” in the Kambu-Tiba area of Al Jazirah State, pledging a thorough investigation and strict measures to prevent future violations.
The Refugees Rights Watch South Sudan also condemned the violence, urging the Sudanese government to uphold its human rights obligations and ensure the safety of South Sudanese refugees.
