SAF and affiliated forces attack villages in Gezira

On January 11 2025, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) retook control of Wad Madani, the capital of Gezira. Numerous sources reported that the SAF and affiliated forces carried out retaliatory attacks on civilians in the region following the takeover. On 17 January, Sudan Witness published a report on five verified videos showing violence, arrests, and killings in Wad Madani and surrounding areas following the takeover. 

Since then, Sudan Witness has identified and verified additional footage to help shed light on the situation. This report provides insight on arrests and a killing that took place in the villages of Haj Abdullah and Alshukaba Alwihda between 8 and 13 January, including verified videos confirming the involvements of members of the SAF and affiliated forces.

Arrests and killings in Gezira

Sudan Witness verified the presence of SAF and/or SAF-affiliated forces in two villages, along the Sinar-Wad Madani highway, namely Haj Abdullah and Alshukaba Alwihda,  between 8 and 13 January. This suggests that the forces advanced along the southern axis, travelling north to Wad Madani. In both locations, men in SAF/SAF-affiliated uniform were seen carrying out arrests and killings. The uniformed men claimed they were targeting RSF collaborators.

Haj Abdullah 

On 8 January, Sudan Tribune posted a video to X showing SAF fighters in Haj Abdullah, 60 km south of Wad Madani. The fighters in the video claimed they had recaptured the village from the RSF that day, specifying it was 8 January. Sudan Witness geolocated the footage to the front of Haj Abdullah Police Station. On 13 January, a personal account posted a video to X showing two men held in the back of a truck by men in GIS uniform. While one of the detainees is wearing a brown camouflage T-shirt identical to those worn by the RSF, the other is dressed in civilian clothing. Sudan Witness geolocated the video to Haj Abdullah village (figure 2) and determined the video was probably recorded on 8 January, when the SAF originally took control over the village. This is based on an earlier video posted on a pro-SAF Telegram channel showing the same man in the RSF T-shirt being arrested by men in SAF, General Intelligence Services (GIS), and Central Reserve Police (CRP) uniforms. In the video, the men claim that they are in Haj Abdullah and that it is 8 January. Therefore, it is likely that both men were detained on 8 January, during the SAF takeover.

Alushukaba Alwihda

On 13 January, a pro-RSF Telegram channel posted a video showing an unarmed man in civilian clothing standing in front of a brick wall (figure 2). A man in a camouflage green uniform, identical to that worn by SAF and affiliated forces, then shoots the man multiple times. The man then falls to the ground, as a crowd of civilians watch and celebrate. Sudan Witness geolocated the video to Alshukaba Alwihda, a village approximately 12 km south of Wad Madani (figure 2), and assessed that the footage was likely filmed around the same time as it was posted. Analysis of shadows using SunCalc indicated that the video was taken between 09:00 and 10:00 UTC+2.

On 22 January, a pro-RSF  journalist posted screenshots of the same video to X and reported that the victim owned a Starlink store in the city, which allegedly could not operate without a permit from the RSF while they were in control of the region. According to the post, because of this, the victim was accused of collaboration, and subsequently executed. However, Sudan Witness could not confirm the claim.  

Attribution

The SAF have denied that they were behind the  attacks in Gezira. On 14 January, the Office of the Spokesperson of the Armed Forces published a statement to X condemning the “individual violations”  and added that accusations against the SAF and its allies are false. 

Nonetheless, Sudan Witness confirmed that the man who carried out the execution in Alshukaba Alwhida was a member of the SAF-affiliated Special Mission Forces (SMF). On 9 January, a pro-SAF account posted a video to X showing a man who identified himself as a member of the SMF alongside six other men in uniforms worn by SAF, GIS, and other SAF-affiliated forces. The self-identified member of the SMF claimed that the SAF and SAF-affiliated forces were instructed by Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan to carry out the attacks:

“Our motto in the Special Mission [Forces], based on instructions of the [Commander-in-Chief], is as follows: Special Mission [Forces] for every whispering deceiver [Jinn]. And the [CRP] are here, and [Military Intelligence] are here, and the [GIS] are here. […] this sword, this is the sword of our grandfather Shobali, the grandfather of our commander Shobali. See this sword? I swear, we will slaughter you [with it]. This sword [killed] enemies back in the days of [Herbert] Kitchener, and now we will [use it on you] right here. One generation passes to the next, one generation to the next.”

Sudan Witness could not confirm whether the instructions were issued by Al-Burhan.