Sudan Conflict Enters ‘Beheading’ Stage

Sudanese Army Commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan amidst his forces in the eastern part of the country (Archive - SUNA)
Sudanese Army Commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan amidst his forces in the eastern part of the country (Archive - SUNA)
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Sudan Conflict Enters ‘Beheading’ Stage

Sudanese Army Commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan amidst his forces in the eastern part of the country (Archive - SUNA)
Sudanese Army Commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan amidst his forces in the eastern part of the country (Archive - SUNA)

Sudanese soldiers have shared a disturbing video showing severed heads, claiming they belong to militants from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Some parties in Sudan accused the “Muslim Brotherhood militia,” fighting alongside the army, and extremist groups like “Al-Qaeda” and “ISIS” of being responsible.

The video, widely circulated on social media Thursday night, features soldiers wielding knives, admitting to the beheadings, and threatening similar treatment for the RSF.

The shocking scenes bring to mind the modus operandi of ISIS, documenting the beheading of dozens of hostages, victims, and slaughtered soldiers in Syria.

This has raised concerns locally, regionally, and internationally about potential chaos and security issues in Sudan, possibly leading to the relocation of extremist and terrorist groups.

On its part, the Sudanese army said it is investigating the video and vowed to punish any soldiers involved.

"We follow the rules of war and won't tolerate misconduct like that of the RSF,” army spokesperson Nabil Abdullah said on Friday.

Meanwhile, the RSF condemned the beheading of three people as extremist criminal acts based on ethnicity and politics, calling on the international community to condemn the violence.

RSF spokesperson Fatih Qarshi cautioned that while the paramilitary group holds thousands of army fighters as prisoners, they refuse to resort to the same level of inhumanity displayed towards their own members.

Sudanese political groups openly accuse Islamist militias, known as “Brotherhood militias,” fighting alongside the army against the RSF, of involvement in the clashes.

Since the war erupted between the army and RSF last April, these Islamist groups have mobilized their followers to join the fight alongside the army.

Sudan’s main civilian coalition, the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC), acknowledged seeing a video showing the severed heads of two victims.

They condemned the act as shocking and terroristic, akin to the practices of the ousted regime led by Omar al-Bashir and his Islamist party, known for their history of crimes and terrorism, along with their extremist allies.

In a statement, the FFC called for the trial of all involved as war criminals, emphasizing that turning a blind eye to such crimes implicates leaders and officials.



Israel Sees More to Do on Lebanon Ceasefire

FILE PHOTO: A car drives past damaged buildings in Naqoura, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon,  January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ali Hankir/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A car drives past damaged buildings in Naqoura, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ali Hankir/File Photo
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Israel Sees More to Do on Lebanon Ceasefire

FILE PHOTO: A car drives past damaged buildings in Naqoura, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon,  January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ali Hankir/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A car drives past damaged buildings in Naqoura, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ali Hankir/File Photo

Israel said on Thursday the terms of a ceasefire with Hezbollah were not being implemented fast enough and there was more work to do, while the Iran-backed group urged pressure to ensure Israeli troops leave south Lebanon by Monday as set out in the deal.

The deal stipulates that Israeli troops withdraw from south Lebanon, Hezbollah remove fighters and weapons from the area and Lebanese troops deploy there - all within a 60-day timeframe which will conclude on Monday at 4 a.m (0200 GMT).

The deal, brokered by the United States and France, ended more than a year of hostilities triggered by the Gaza war. The fighting peaked with a major Israeli offensive that displaced more than 1.2 million people in Lebanon and left Hezbollah severely weakened.

"There have been positive movements where the Lebanese army and UNIFIL have taken the place of Hezbollah forces, as stipulated in the agreement," Israeli government spokesmen David Mencer told reporters, referring to UN peacekeepers in Lebanon.

"We've also made clear that these movements have not been fast enough, and there is much more work to do," he said, affirming that Israel wanted the agreement to continue.

Mencer did not directly respond to questions about whether Israel had requested an extension of the deal or say whether Israeli forces would remain in Lebanon after Monday's deadline.

Hezbollah said in a statement that there had been leaks talking about Israel postponing its withdrawal beyond the 60-day period, and that any breach of the agreement would be unacceptable.
The statement said that possibility required everyone, especially Lebanese political powers, to pile pressure on the states which sponsored the deal to ensure "the implementation of the full (Israeli) withdrawal and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the last inch of Lebanese territory and the return of the people to their villages quickly.”

Any delay beyond the 60 days would mark a blatant violation of the deal with which the Lebanese state would have to deal "through all means and methods guaranteed by international charters" to recover Lebanese land "from the occupation's clutches," Hezbollah said.