Sudanese army says mass graves discovered in Khartoum State

Khartoum, May 23 (IANS) The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have announced the discovery of mass graves containing the remains of 465 individuals in the Al-Salha area, south of Omdurman city, just two days after declaring Khartoum State cleared of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) presence.

"During recent clearing operations in southern Omdurman, the armed forces uncovered mass graves and also found civilians and retired members of the regular forces who had been detained by the militia and held inside a school in the Salha area, where they were used as human shields under inhumane conditions," the SAF said on Thursday in a statement on its Facebook page.

"A total of 648 civilians had been detained, of whom 465 died as a result of neglect, including the lack of food, medical care, and essential medicine. The deceased were buried in mass graves, some containing more than 27 bodies," the statement added.

Meanwhile, the SAF also shared videos on its Facebook page showing detainees held inside a school in Al-Salha, along with footage of mass graves found on the school grounds, Xinhua news agency reported.

A doctor, who was among the detainees, said, "The total number of detainees was approximately 648, and a significant number of them died due to a lack of food, medicine, and the spread of diseases such as cholera."

On May 20, the Sudanese army announced the full liberation of Khartoum State after regaining control of the last remaining RSF strongholds in the western and southern parts of Omdurman.

In late March, the RSF said that it had repositioned its forces to the southern and western areas of Omdurman, particularly in the Al-Salha and the villages of Al-Jamoiya, following its withdrawal from most areas of Khartoum State.

Al-Salha and the surrounding villages of Al-Jamoiya later became the scene of intense clashes between the Sudanese army and RSF forces.

Volunteers and human rights activists have accused the RSF of committing serious violations against civilians in southwestern Omdurman, Khartoum's twin city.

Sudan has been engulfed in a brutal conflict between the SAF and the RSF since April 2023.

The war has killed tens of thousands and forced millions to flee their homes, both within Sudan and across its borders.

--IANS

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