In December, two men from Kordofan, Osman Arbab, 24, and his younger brother, were stopped by military intelligence on a bus just outside Atbara, Sudan. They were accused of spying for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group. After being taken to a facility in Atbara, they were subjected to six days of beatings and then electric shocks in an attempt to extract confessions.
The military seems to be targeting people from regions where its rivals, the RSF, have support. This has led to enforced disappearances and torture, with little to no evidence being presented against those detained.
The army’s crackdown is mainly focused on people from Kordofan and Darfur, areas seen as RSF strongholds. Even army soldiers are being killed if they are suspected of having loyalties to the RSF.
The ethnic tensions in Sudan have been magnified, with the army reportedly executing soldiers from nomadic “Arab” tribes and ethnic divisions being driven to increase recruitment for the RSF.
The army’s actions have been criticized for being counterproductive, especially considering the history of ethnic-based targeting by “Arab” tribal militias in the early 2000s. Civilians are being assumed to be working against the army, leading to grave violations being perpetrated against them.
The army’s approach has been deemed as dangerous and politically unwise, as it may drive people to seek alliances with groups that align with the RSF. The army’s claims of protecting civilians are being contradicted by the violations being committed against them.