The difficult and dangerous environment for media work and reporting in general has led to significant underreporting of security incidents in Sudan; as such this paragraph should be read in conjunction with section 1.1.4 Security incidents and civilian deaths estimates and section 1.3.2 Communication and media presence.
The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network, a Uganda-based women’s rights NGO, in June 2024 published a report on conflict-related sexual violence in Al Jazirah. Based on cases documented by SIHA, the RSF taking control of areas first involved entering the villages and shooting into the air, followed by looting village businesses and then moving into the houses, searching for SAF soldiers or other combatants. They would target men – often leading to killings - and perpetrate sexual violence against women and girls in the houses.888
The SAF carried out airstrikes in the Central region targeting areas under RSF control, leading to civilian casualties.889 According to Sudan War Monitor, SAF strikes showed a pattern of targeting markets in RSF-controlled territory with the aim of disrupting commercial activity thought to be benefitting the RSF. Additionally, as SAF warplanes purportedly lacked the capacity to hit moving RSF targets in the field, the tactic was instead to target crowded spaces such as markets where RSF members were also suspected to gather.890
Among the 1 393 security events (battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians) reported by ACLED between 15 April 2023 and the end of November 2024, 321 were coded as battles, 328 as explosions/remote violence and 744 as violence against civilians. In 846 instances, civilians were the primary or only target. Security incidents in the Central region were recorded especially in Al Jazirah state, accounting for about 74 % of overall incidents, followed by Sennar with 16 %, White Nile with 8 % and Blue Nile with 21 %.891
Figure 12: Evolution of security events coded as battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians in Central region of Sudan, 15 April 2023 – 30 November 2024, based on ACLED data892
- 888
SIHA Network, Gezira State and the Forgotten Atrocities - a report on conflict-related sexual violence, June 2024, url, p. 4
- 889
Sudan War Monitor, Airstrike hits village market in Al-Jazira State, 27 November 2024, url; Sudan Tribune, Dozens killed in mosque air strike in Sudan’s Wad Madani, 21 October 2024, url; Darfur Victims Support Organization, Report on the Airstrike on Kamerab Village, Sennar State, 18 October 2024, url; Darfur 24, 100 People Killed and Injured in Army Airstrikes on Hasahisa, 8 October 2024, url; Akhbar Sudan, سقوط ضحايا وتدمير منازل اثر غارات جوية على ولاية سنار اليوم [Casualties and destruction of homes as a result of air strikes on Sennar State today], 12 September 2024, url
- 890
Sudan War Monitor, Airstrike hits village market in Al-Jazira State, 27 November 2024, url
- 891
EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, Africa, as of 6 December 2024, url
- 892
EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, Africa, as of 6 December 2024, url