Sharg Elnil: In a region of Sudan recently reclaimed by government forces after nearly two years of paramilitary control, Red Crescent volunteers in hazmat suits and protective masks meticulously retrieved bodies from a well, placing them into black bags as local residents solemnly observed.
Forensic examinations indicate that most of the 15 victims suffered gunshot wounds to the head, while others bore injuries suggesting they were thrown into the well while still alive, according to Hisham Zain al-Abdin, director of forensic medicine for Khartoum state.
Beyond the well, additional bodies have been discovered strewn along roadsides or concealed in basements throughout the Sharg Elnil district. Some victims were found bound, a sign of possible executions, Zain al-Abdin noted.
“A lot of things happened here, and horrific scenes,” he stated.
Nearly two years into Sudan’s ongoing civil war, government troops have launched offensives into areas long held by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which broke away from military leadership in April 2023. Authorities assert that their advances have uncovered widespread evidence of killings in territories previously under RSF control.
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The RSF has not responded to requests for comment. In previous statements, the paramilitary group has denied allegations of mass atrocities in areas it controlled, claiming that any wrongdoing was the work of individual perpetrators who would be held accountable. It has also accused government forces of committing their own abuses—allegations the army categorically denies.
Hussein al-Faki, a resident who alerted authorities to the presence of bodies in the well, recounted how locals had initially attempted to bury the victims. However, the armed men who controlled the area during RSF occupation prevented them.
“If you got closer, they would shoot you. They scared us, so we ran away and left them,” he said.
