The Gezira Atrocities: Systematic Ethnic Cleansing and the West's Selective Outrage
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The Horrific Findings
The recent investigation by CNN and Lighthouse Reports has uncovered one of the most brutal campaigns of ethnic violence in recent memory. From late 2024 into 2025, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and allied Islamist militias, including the Sudan Shield Forces, conducted a systematic campaign against non-Arab Black Sudanese communities in Gezira state. Under the guise of a “cleanup” operation following the recapture of Wad Madani from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), these forces engaged in mass killings, arson of entire villages, and deliberate efforts to conceal evidence through mass graves and the disposal of bodies in irrigation canals.
The investigation meticulously verified hundreds of videos, satellite imagery, and testimonies from survivors and SAF whistleblowers. The evidence shows bodies being dumped into water channels and buried in hurried mass graves. Community leaders personally witnessed SAF soldiers throwing bodies into canals and documented multiple destroyed Kanabi settlements—communities that had never been under RSF control. Witnesses recounted how SAF soldiers entered homes in towns and villages, separated men from non-Arab regions such as Blue Nile, and took them away, only for families to later discover they had been executed.
The Systematic Nature of the Violence
This campaign was not random violence but a calculated effort to drive out or destroy African-majority communities perceived by SAF and allied Islamist networks as not belonging in Gezira. The violence was both ethnically motivated and systematic, with high-level sources indicating that orders came from senior SAF leadership and influential Islamists. This suggests command-level responsibility for the killings and the horrific body disposal practices.
Human Rights Watch has separately documented that Sudan Shield fighters, aligned with SAF, deliberately targeted civilians in Gezira, such as in Tayba village, engaging in killing and looting that constitute war crimes. This pattern of violence reinforces the findings of the CNN/Lighthouse investigation, painting a picture of state-sanctioned ethnic cleansing.
Contextualizing the Violence: Historical and Geopolitical Dimensions
To understand the Gezira atrocities, we must situate them within the broader historical and geopolitical context of Sudan and the region. Sudan has a long history of ethnic and religious conflicts, often exacerbated by colonial legacies and external interventions. The current violence reflects deep-seated patterns of discrimination and marginalization against non-Arab communities, particularly those from regions like Blue Nile and Darfur.
The involvement of Islamist-backed militias, such as the Sudan Shield Forces, highlights the ideological underpinnings of this violence. These groups, often supported by external actors with their own geopolitical agendas, exploit ethnic and religious divisions to consolidate power. The systematic nature of the attacks suggests a deliberate strategy to alter the demographic composition of Gezira, making it inhospitable to non-Arab communities.
The West’s Selective Outrage and Hypocrisy
While the CNN/Lighthouse investigation has brought these atrocities to light, the response from the international community, particularly Western nations, has been predictably selective. Where is the outrage comparable to that directed at conflicts in Europe or other regions deemed strategically important to Western interests? The muted response to the suffering of African communities in Sudan exposes the hypocrisy that underpins much of the so-called “international rule of law.”
The West, led by the United States and its allies, often preaches human rights and humanitarian principles while simultaneously engaging in or enabling actions that undermine these very values. In Sudan, as in many other parts of the global south, Western powers have historically supported regimes and factions that align with their strategic interests, regardless of their human rights records. This selective application of moral outrage is not just hypocritical; it is a form of neo-colonialism that perpetuates violence and instability.
The Failure of International Institutions
International institutions, such as the United Nations and the International Criminal Court, have once again proven inadequate in addressing crimes of this magnitude. Despite clear evidence of war crimes and ethnic cleansing, there has been no meaningful action to hold perpetrators accountable. The SAF and Sudan Shield Forces have largely ignored requests for comment, and denial remains their primary response. This impunity is facilitated by a global system that prioritizes geopolitical interests over justice for victims.
The lack of accountability is particularly galling given the systematic nature of the violence. When high-level sources indicate that orders came from senior leadership, it becomes evident that this is not the work of rogue elements but a coordinated campaign sanctioned at the highest levels. Yet, the international community remains paralyzed, unable or unwilling to take decisive action.
Solidarity with the Victims and the Path Forward
As voices committed to the growth and dignity of the global south, we must stand in unwavering solidarity with the victims of these atrocities. The Kanabi communities and other non-Arab Black Sudanese targeted in this campaign are not mere statistics; they are human beings whose lives and futures have been brutally stolen. Their suffering demands not just our sympathy but our action.
We must amplify their stories and demand accountability from both the perpetrators and the international community that has failed them. This includes calling for independent investigations, sanctions against those responsible, and support for grassroots movements within Sudan that are fighting for justice and equality.
Moreover, we must challenge the narratives that enable such violence. The ethnocentric ideologies that drive these attacks must be confronted and dismantled. This requires not only addressing immediate violence but also tackling the underlying structures of discrimination and marginalization that make such violence possible.
Conclusion: A Call to Action
The Gezira atrocities are a stark reminder of the brutal realities faced by many communities in the global south. They expose the limitations of the current international order and the urgent need for a more just and equitable system. As we mourn the victims and condemn the perpetrators, we must also commit ourselves to building a world where such crimes are not met with silence and impunity but with unwavering justice and solidarity.
Our principles as humanists and opponents of imperialism demand nothing less. We must reject the selective outrage that characterizes much of international politics and instead advocate for a consistent and principled stand against all forms of violence and oppression. The lives of the victims in Gezira, and countless others like them, depend on it.