Sudan: Soldiers Reportedly Accused of Widespread Looting

Facts

• Residents of the Sudanese city of Omdurman have alleged widespread looting by soldiers in parts of the city under army control.¹
• Nearly 2M people had fled the capital city of Khartoum and the nearby cities of Omdurman and Bahri since April when conflict broke out between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.²
• Criminal gangs, as well as combatants from both sides, are accused of looting homes and businesses in Khartoum for months as the city's police stations are not functioning following months of continued violence.²
• There are also reports of civilians being killed and wounded while attempting to stop soldiers from stealing their belongings in army-controlled areas.¹
• Aid groups have also reported medical supplies being confiscated by the warring forces, with both allegedly exploiting aid deliveries to gain battlefield advantages.³
• According to the UN, over 12K people have been killed, and a further 6.6M have been displaced in Sudan since the start of the conflict.⁴

Sources: ¹Guardian, ²BBC News, ³Al Jazeera and ⁴Aa.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Guardian. The low salaries of the Sudanese army are forcing the soldiers to turn to looting to make ends meet in a brutal civil conflict. The violence and economic crisis in the country has made crime necessary for many. This is another reason why conflict resolution must proceed immediately.
• Narrative B, as provided by BBC News. The looting and humiliation of impoverished civilians is unacceptable. This behavior, especially from the army, which is meant to maintain law and order in the cities without civilian law enforcement, must be held to full account. The Sudanese government is responsible for these actions, even in a time of turbulent civil conflict.

Predictions