Sudanese Army Accused of Looting and Burning Property in Al-Kanabi Communities

Systematic Violations Against Al-Kanabi Residents Amid Military Advances

In light of recent developments in Sudan, systematic violations against Al-Kanabi residents in Al-Jazirah State continue to escalate. These communities face ethnic targeting and forced displacement with each military advance by the armed forces. The Central Committee of the Al-Kanabi Conference has expressed deep concern over these ongoing violations and holds the responsible parties fully accountable.

On January 7, 2025, in Kombo Al-Ragil Al-Heiran, residents were attacked by army-affiliated militias, who looted their livestock and property. A local source reported that before the attack, a military force had ordered the community to evacuate, which they did, relocating 6 to 7 kilometers away. However, later that night, militia members and soldiers assaulted them at their new location, looting their belongings and attacking women. One woman suffered a broken arm from the assault, and three individuals—Abdullah Mohammed, Hamad Abdullah, and Ezzedine Omar Mohammed—were abducted. Their fate remains unknown. Meanwhile, the residents of Kombo Al-Ragil endure dire humanitarian conditions, with communication networks cut off and essential services nonexistent.

On December 28, 2024, a group of soldiers from Sharif Yaqub and Babnusa, supported by Sudan Shield Forces and mobilized militias, burned and looted the village of Imarat Sharif Yaqub, forcing its residents to flee to neighboring villages under harsh conditions.

Ethnically Motivated Attacks and Human Rights Violations

On February 9, 2025, the village of Al-Mabrouka, north of Umm Al-Qura, was attacked on ethnic grounds by mobilized militias. The attack resulted in the deaths of two residents, Ahmed Mohammed Abu Nour and Adam Youssef, while Mustafa Yaqub was injured.

In Al-Hasahisa locality (Kabkabiya), four citizens were arrested. A child was tortured to the point of losing the ability to sit, while another child was killed. Two detainees were transferred to detention centers in Al-Managil, Al-Jazirah, in blatant violation of human rights.

The Central Committee of the Al-Kanabi Conference has documented instances where armed forces personnel forced detained Al-Kanabi residents to wash their clothes and serve them in degrading and inhumane treatment that violates basic legal and ethical standards.

Local sources also reported that army forces and militias arrested several Al-Kanabi citizens while they were working on their farms in the Wawisti area, accusing them—without evidence—of being affiliated with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The Central Committee of the Al-Kanabi Conference has affirmed that these detainees are ordinary civilians and has demanded their immediate release or due legal process. It holds the armed forces fully accountable for any harm that befalls them.

On February 8, 2025, Sudan Shield Forces, led by Abu Aqila Keikel, set fire to the village of Bara in Al-Kamlin locality, north of Al-Jazirah, forcibly displacing its residents under accusations of collaborating with the RSF.

Al-Kanabi Conference Condemnation and Call for Action

The Central Committee of the Al-Kanabi Conference has strongly condemned these systematic crimes targeting Al-Kanabi residents based on race and ethnicity, orchestrated by militias and Sudan Shield Forces under the leadership of Keikel, with either direct support or tacit approval from certain official entities. These actions constitute flagrant violations of human rights, national and international laws, and a stain on the conscience of all those complicit.

The Committee warned that the continued perpetration of these violations will not only affect the Al-Kanabi community but will push Sudan further into division and conflict, threatening the country’s social cohesion—especially in central Sudan, where security and stability are rapidly deteriorating due to such exclusionary and racist practices.

Furthermore, the Committee emphasized that the absence of accountability for these crimes will lead to disastrous consequences, fueling further chaos and escalation that no party will be immune from.

The Central Committee of the Al-Kanabi Conference has called upon the international community, human rights organizations, and relevant authorities to urgently intervene to halt these atrocities, protect civilians, and hold perpetrators accountable for these grave violations that endanger Sudan’s social stability.