Sudan: Investigation reveals campaign of ethnically motivated atrocities by Al Burhan’s troops

A report by investigative newsroom Lighthouse Reports, conducted in collaboration with CNN, has uncovered a campaign of ethnically motivated atrocities carried out by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) mainly targeting non-Arab communities.

It revealed mass killings of civilians in Al Jazira state, south of Khartoum, by troops and allied Islamist-backed militias, with the knowledge of SAF chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan.

"Lighthouse Reports and CNN spoke to several high-level sources who all indicated that the orders for the campaign came from the highest ranks of SAF and influential Islamists who exert pressure on SAF leadership," said Lighthouse Reports.

The civil war in Sudan has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 12 million and created the world's largest hunger and displacement crises. Mr Al Burhan, who is sanctioned by the US and accused of allowing his troops to use chemical weapons, has rejected calls for a ceasefire and vowed to keep fighting until the RSF is defeated. His troops have long been linked to Islamist-backed figures and influence within Sudan’s security apparatus.

Satellite imagery, verified videos and testimony from whistleblowers and serving security officers indicate that abuses by the SAF have been widespread but largely unreported in the civil war, with the focus mainly on atrocities committed by the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

"Lighthouse Reports and CNN can reveal evidence of the Sudanese Armed Forces’ systematic targeting of civilians" in Al Jazira state "on an ethnic basis", wrote Lighthouse Reports.

"In early 2025, after more than a year under the occupation of the RSF, the central city of Wad Madani [..] was retaken by SAF. SAF announced a cleanup operation of the city and surrounding rebel pockets. In reality, the Sudanese Armed Forces and Islamist-backed allied militias, including the Sudan Shield Forces, used the operat