Sudanese authorities have recovered and buried at least 3,800 bodies discovered across Khartoum in the aftermath of the army’s recapture of the capital from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This revelation was made over the weekend.
According to Hisham Zain al-Abidin, head of the Forensic Medicine Authority, the bodies were found in homes, hospitals, government buildings, and public spaces where months of brutal urban warfare had left many residents unable to access cemeteries, forcing them to bury the dead in makeshift graves.
The forensic authority revealed that hundreds of mass graves have also been identified across Khartoum, with strong suspicions that many of the deceased were victims of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings carried out during the RSF’s occupation of the city. A dedicated committee composed of forensic experts, security personnel, and local officials has been established to survey and document these gravesites, particularly in the historic neighbourhoods of Omdurman, part of the wider Khartoum metropolitan area.
In a related statement, the Health Ministry addressed public outrage over an allegation that a forensic official had demanded a bribe of four million Sudanese pounds to transport a body for burial. The ministry firmly denied the accusation, stressing that the service is offered free of charge and reaffirming its commitment to transparency. The ministry’s response aimed to quell criticism and restore public trust amid the ongoing humanitarian and forensic operations.