RSF mass execution of civilians in Omdurman

KHARTOUM – Graphic video evidence circulating online appeared to show the mass execution of unarmed civilians by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Omdurman, prompting an initial denial of responsibility from the RSF central command before a field commander admitted to the killings.

The footage, geolocated by Sudans Post to the Hai Al-Qe’aa Sharq neighborhood in Salha, an area under RSF control in southern Omdurman, depicted gunmen firing on seated captives. Another video showed the aftermath with bodies lying on the ground.

A fighter on a motorcycle was heard vowing further killings in retaliation for alleged executions of RSF fighters by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Sun position and shadow analysis indicated the executions occurred between 9:00 AM and 10:00 AM local time on April 27.

A separate video showed young male captives, some appearing to be teenagers, being escorted on foot by RSF fighters towards the execution site, located approximately five kilometers south of the frontlines around Omdurman Islamic University.

RSF fighters accused the victims of being affiliated with the Baraa Bin Malik Brigade, a pro-Islamist group fighting alongside the army. One RSF combatant was heard calling the captives “collaborators.”

Within hours of the videos spreading, the RSF central command issued a statement disavowing the incident. It denied that the perpetrators were RSF fighters, alleged the executions took place in an army-controlled area, and suggested it could be a SAF war crime.

However, this denial was swiftly contradicted by a field commander directly involved. Jar el-Nabi Abdallah, known as “Ostura” and identifying himself as the RSF sector commander for southern Omdurman in a video statement.

He confirmed his presence at the scene, identified his units, and provided his RSF service number. Ostura insisted the victims were SAF personnel in civilian clothes, executed in retaliation for SAF actions.

“I want to address the questions raised about the individuals killed on April 27, 2025. I am Jar El Nabi Abdalla, also known as ‘Ostura’. I was the one who captured them, and I am the one seen in the footage. There have been claims on social media questioning whether these individuals were civilians or soldiers, and why, if they were soldiers, they were executed in that manner. Let me be clear: they were not civilians,” he said.

“Some were associates of Abu Aqla Keikel, and others belonged to the Baraa Bin Malik group. They were on an important mission inside Al-Muhandisin, disguised in civilian clothing. We captured them in response to the traitor Al-Burhan and his actions in Al Jazeera, and in retaliation for what was done to civilians in the west and to the honorable people of Sudan. As a response to those actions, we executed them,” he added.

His admission directly contradicted the RSF central command’s denial and highlighted a potential breakdown in command and control within the RSF.

The mass executions have drawn widespread condemnation from political groups, human rights organizations, and international actors.

United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator Clementine Nkweta-Salami expressed “grave concerns” about escalating risks to civilians in Omdurman and called for investigations and accountability for perpetrators.

Sudanese political groups, including the Sudanese Congress Party and the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party, denounced the killings as deliberate acts against civilians and demanded accountability for the RSF leadership. The Emergency Lawyers, a local monitoring group, described the executions as war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The Sudan Doctors Network reported 31 civilians, including minors, were executed in Al-Salha, calling it the “largest documented mass killing in the region” and a war crime. They urged international intervention to protect civilians and secure safe evacuation corridors.

The Sudan Resistance Committees and the Forces Signatory to the Revolutionary Charter for the Establishment of People’s Authority also condemned the killings, accusing the RSF of systematic massacres and war crimes, including using hostages for ransom before killing them.

They called for the RSF to be designated a terrorist organization.

Prominent journalist Osman Mirghani detailed the killings, reporting that young detainees were forced to march half-naked, abused, and executed without charge, with tires then burned on their bodies. He called for legal documentation of RSF war crimes and a strong media campaign to expose the atrocities.

Mubarak Ardol, head of the Democratic Alliance for Social Justice, stated that political forces allied with the RSF share responsibility for the crime.

The Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced the RSF’s “terrorist campaigns,” citing the Al-Salha massacre and alleged systematic attacks on civilians in other regions, calling for international action to hold the RSF accountable for atrocities, including alleged genocide in Darfur.