Sudan Witness Monthly Update: Violence towards civilians in Gezira state

In October 2024, CIR’s Sudan Witness team verified footage relating to civilian deaths, forced displacement, and destroyed infrastructure in three settlements in Gezira, after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a major assault on the state. The United Nations (UN) reported that the RSF shot at civilians and subjected them to violence and humiliation between 20 and 25 October, leading to “scores” of casualties.

The RSF seized control of Gezira’s capital, Wad Madani, in December 2023. After capturing the city, the paramilitary group assigned one of its highest ranking officers, Abuaqla Muhammed Alwakil, also known as “Kaykal”, to the post of commander of Wad Madani’s 1st Infantry division. However, on 20 October, the RSF released a statement on Telegram claiming that Kaykal had defected to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), taking 480 officers with him.

According to Al Jazeera, Kaykal hailed from the Shukriya tribe, which resides in the east of Gezira. As such, the RSF may have targeted locations in the east of the state as a response to Kaykal’s defection, as reported by Egyptian outlet Madar Masr. Eyewitnesses told Reuters that the RSF likely launched an attack on Gezira on 20 October.

Sudan Witness verified six videos relating to incidents in three settlements in Gezira: Tamboul, Ruf’aa, and Al Sereiha. These reported incidents involved violence towards civilians, damage to infrastructure, and civilian displacement. On 26 October, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Human Rights Affairs (UNOCHA) reported that the RSF targeted more villages, including Safita Ghanoubab, Al Hilaliya, and Al Aziba, where RSF soldiers allegedly assaulted and threatened residents. However, Sudan Witness was unable to verify these reports.

Tamboul

On 22 October, Al Arabiya reported that the RSF “rampaged” through Tamboul. Sudan Witness verified two videos that started circulating on social media on 20 October showing the presence of both RSF and SAF soldiers in Tamboul, suggesting that the area was still contested. On 20 October, Sudan Witness verified a video shared to a pro-SAF Telegram channel showing SAF soldiers celebrating with civilians at a petrol station in central Tamboul. Later on the same day, a pro-RSF account posted a video to Telegram showing the paramilitary with stolen SAF trucks and bodies of SAF soldiers on the outskirts of the village. On 22 October, Reuters reported that the RSF said they had driven the SAF out of the area.

Videos began to emerge online showing displaced civilians and what appears to be RSF soldiers humiliating civilians. For example, on 20 October, a pro-RSF Telegram channel posted a video showing men in RSF uniforms with prisoners in civilian clothing. A pro-SAF account posted another video to X on 23 October RSF soldiers on trucks ordering civilians to run through the desert. Both captions claimed that the videos were filmed in Tamboul, but Sudan Witness has not yet verified the footage.

Ruf’aa

Media outlets also reported violence in the city of Ruf’aa, located 18 km southwest of Tamboul. According to Sudan Tribune, both Ruf’aa and Tamboul were previously under Kaykal’s control while he was part of the RSF. The report added that RSF attacks left “scores dead and thousands displaced.” While Sudan Witness could not verify the claims, it verified footage showing significant

damage to infrastructure in Ruf’aa. For instance, on 26 October a pro-SAF account shared a video to X showing destruction to the central area of the city. CIR geolocated the footage and confirmed damage to at least three locations in Ruf’aa on Planet satellite imagery between 19 and 29 October (figure 2). Damage to market stalls and commercial property in the city is likely to further restrict civilians’ access to basic goods and services.

Al Sereiha

Footage also emerged indicating that the civilians had been arrested, detained, and killed in the village of Al Sereiha in northeastern Gezira. On 25 October, a pro-SAF account posted a video to X showing a large group of detained men in a building. The caption claimed that the location was a mosque in Al Sereiha. On 26 October, a conflict observer posted another video to X showing a room full of covered bodies, with the caption again stating that the location was a mosque in Al Sereiha. Sudan Witness identified at least four mosques in the village, but could not verify the two videos. The caption of the second post claims that the death toll stands at 130 people. Sudan Witness could not confirm the number of casualties.

Sudan Witness verified four other videos from events in Al Sereiha showing the aftermath of the destruction to the village. The first video, which a pro-SAF account posted to X on 26 October, shows men in RSF uniforms harassing prisoners in civilian clothing. A second video showing a similar scene was posted to X by another pro-SAF account on 25 October. On the same day, yet another pro-SAF account posted a video to Youtube showing RSF soldiers celebrating. Lastly, on 29 October, a conflict observer account posted a video to X showing looted stores and a body on the street. Sudan Witness geolocated all four videos to the village of Al Sereiha.

Reports of sexual violence

Based on a review of secondary reporting from credible sources, including from from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Sudan Witness identified that human rights organisations and Sudanese service providers documented a combined total of 145 incidents of CRSV in Gezira since the outbreak of violence in Gezira in October.

Some of these reports may refer to the same incident. However, the Fact Finding Mission for Sudan and other experts believe that most cases of CRSV go unreported, and that the total figure is likely significantly higher.

Past trends from across Sudan show that reports of CRSV often emerge alongside reported RSF attacks. According to Reuters, RSF fighters entered homes and subjected women and girls to sexual violence the RSF seized control of Gezira in December 2023, . In a BBC article published on 31 October, Hala Al Karib, head of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA), stated that RSF fighters launched new violent reprisals in Gezira following the defection of Kaykal as part of a revenge campaign against civilians in areas under the former-RSF commander’s control. According to Al Karib, these reprisals took the form of sexual violence, looting, and civilian killings.