Human Rights Watch (HRW) recently accused the Sudan Shield Forces, a militia aligned with Sudan’s army, of killing civilians, looting property, and committing abuses in an attack on a village in Al-Jazira state last month.
At least 26 people, including a child, were killed in the Jan. 10 attack on Kombo Tayba, HRW said. The group said militia fighters looted homes, stole food supplies, and set buildings on fire, calling the acts war crimes that could amount to crimes against humanity.
“The Sudanese authorities must urgently investigate these violations and hold those responsible accountable, including Sudan Shield Forces commanders,” Jean-Baptiste Gallopin, a senior HRW researcher, said in a statement.
HRW based its findings on interviews with survivors, satellite imagery, and photos and videos shared by victims. Eyewitnesses said attackers opened fire indiscriminately on men and boys, then torched buildings. They returned hours later, searching homes and killing more people.
The Sudan Shield Forces were formed in 2022 by Abu Aqila Kikel, who initially fought alongside the Sudanese army before defecting to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). In October 2024, Kikel and his fighters rejoined the army, triggering a wave of RSF-led retaliatory attacks against communities suspected of supporting them.
HRW said as the army regains control over Al-Jazira and other areas, civilians are facing retaliatory violence from army-linked militias, who accuse them of collaborating with RSF. The rights group called for an investigation into the Kombo Tayba attack and for Kikel and other militia commanders to be suspended pending its outcome.
The Sudanese army has condemned the reported violations in Al-Jazira but described them as “individual transgressions,” saying it would hold those responsible to account.
