Sudan Civil War: Bodies in Canals and Mass Graves Revealed by Satellite Imagery

Ethnic Atrocities in Jazira State

• 🎯 A joint investigation by CNN and Lighthouse Reports uncovers a campaign of ethnically fueled atrocities targeting non-Arabs in Sudan's Jazira state.
• ⚠️ These abuses were carried out by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and their allies, with evidence suggesting orchestration from the top.
• 🔎 An official within Sudan's General Intelligence Service was reportedly involved in coordinating attacks, and the army chief was allegedly made aware of the killings.

Violence Near Wad Madani

• ⚡ As SAF advanced to recapture Wad Madani in January 2025, atrocities intensified in villages like Keriba.
• 🩸 Videos verified by CNN show troops detaining and assaulting young men, and a massacre at Police Bridge where at least 50 unarmed civilians were executed.
• 👥 Victims at Police Bridge were allegedly buried in mass graves, a claim supported by satellite imagery showing disturbed earth and what appear to be wrapped corpses.

Disposal of Bodies in Canals

• 🌊 Whistleblowers revealed that some victims were shot and then thrown into canals, with bodies found days later.
• 🛰️ Satellite imagery captured in May showed dozens of bodies on the canal bed, near where Sudan's de facto leader, Al-Burhan, addressed his forces.
• 🔗 At least eight bodies were also found lodged along the same canal system downstream, captured in videos posted after the army seized control of Wad Madani.

Wider Campaign and Lack of Accountability

• 💥 These horrifying attacks were part of a wider campaign on at least 39 villages, targeting the Kanabi, a non-Arab farming community.
• 🗣️ A UN fact-finding mission described the military campaign as a targeted extermination along ethnic lines, amounting to ethnic cleansing.
• ⚖️ Despite condemnation of "individual violations" by the SAF and an announced investigation, there is currently no sign of accountability for these atrocities.