The Sudanese Alliance for Rights (SAR) unequivocally condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the Sudanese Army’s reckless and flagrant abuse of civilian spaces, particularly the use of schools and residential areas in the Al-Thawra district of Omdurman, as military barracks and artillery platforms. The reports from eyewitnesses and our sources on the ground confirm that the Sudanese Army has been systematically transforming civilian institutions, including schools in districts (10), (19), (21), (30), and Al-Muhajir Private School, along with those in the Al-Rawda neighborhood of Omdurman, into military strongholds.
This gross violation of international humanitarian law represents an appalling breach of the Geneva Conventions (1949) and Additional Protocol I (1977), which strictly prohibit the use of civilian objects for military purposes. The army’s placement of artillery cannons within densely populated residential areas — including the Al-Waha neighborhood square, Block No. (7), district (6) in Al-Thawra, and Omdurman Islamic University — is not only a reckless disregard for human life, but also a deliberate attempt to place innocent civilians in harm’s way.
The tragic consequences of this unlawful conduct are clear: these artillery positions have been targeted by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), resulting in indiscriminate shelling of civilian neighborhoods, widespread property damage, and tragic loss of life. These actions constitute war crimes under International Humanitarian Law, specifically the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols, which prohibit the use of civilian objects for military purposes, as well as attacks that fail to distinguish between military objectives and civilian populations. These laws are designed to protect civilians during armed conflict, ensuring their safety and preventing unnecessary suffering.
SAR is appalled by the Sudanese Army’s flagrant disregard for the lives and safety of civilians. The military’s placement of artillery within residential neighborhoods, the use of mobile artillery mounted on vehicles, and the constant relocation of these positions make civilians sitting targets for ongoing shelling, directly contributing to the rising civilian toll in these already vulnerable areas.
We denounce, in the harshest terms, the Sudanese Army’s actions as not only a gross violation of international law but also as an act of collective punishment against the people of Omdurman. The army’s deliberate tactics of utilizing civilian infrastructure for military purposes must be met with swift and severe international condemnation.
We demand the immediate cessation of these illegal activities, including the immediate withdrawal of Sudanese forces from civilian areas and the dismantling of artillery positions within residential neighborhoods and schools. We call for immediate accountability for those responsible for this flagrant disregard for human life and the rule of law.
The Sudanese Alliance for Rights urges the international community to take urgent action to stop this atrocity, including the imposition of sanctions, a no-fly zone over the affected areas, and the swift prosecution of those responsible for these crimes under international law. This situation must not be allowed to continue unchecked.
The use of civilian schools and residential areas for military purposes is a war crime under International Humanitarian Law — and it must be treated as such. The Sudanese Army’s actions must be met with the strongest possible international response. We stand with the people of Omdurman and call for an immediate end to this ruthless, unlawful, and immoral behavior.
Sudanese Alliance for Rights (SARS)
24 February 2025