“Sudan’s People Have No Mourner”: Militia Crimes Spark Outrage Among Arab Twitter Users

A bearded man, appearing fearful, clutches his beard as a field commander from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), nicknamed “Sharon,” drags the elderly man back and forth, repeating degrading words as he takes apparent satisfaction in tormenting civilians. The commander documents his actions in a “selfie” video, surrounded by armed men who support his actions.

The video spread across social media, igniting anger among Sudanese and Arab users alike. The outrage intensified after the elderly man’s daughter posted on Twitter, stating that the man in the video is her father and that her family endured the worst night of their lives. Other sources claimed the man is Tayeb Maher, one of Sudan’s first electrical engineers, who worked in the Gulf before returning to start a business in the village of Al-Siraicha, Gezira State. The video highlighted RSF abuses in this village, prompting solidarity from various Arab figures on social media.

Prominent responses came from Ahmed bin Hamad Al-Khalili, the Grand Mufti of Oman, who released a statement saying, “We were deeply disturbed by the assault on our Sudanese Arab Muslim brothers by these criminal gangs. They entered a village and wiped out its men, an act reminiscent of ancient oppression, and we curse their plans and perpetrators.” He questioned the role of international organizations, the Arab League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. In Mauritania, a women’s protest titled “Same Terror in Gaza and Sudan” took place, with Sudanese users sharing videos of the event.

One Twitter user condemned the world’s silence about Sudan, noting the lack of urgent media coverage or United Nations meetings. Others called for solidarity with Sudanese victims amid limited media attention. Arab social media users shared a video of a man in military uniform, saying, “These [RSF elements] are neither national nor Sudanese; this land is ours. It’s either them or us, death is better than living like this.” Another commenter stated that the tear of the elderly man outweighs the honor and history of those supporting the militias aiming to destabilize Sudan.

Activists and doctors reported that RSF forces committed a massacre in the village of Al-Siraicha, resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths. It was reportedly retaliation for certain RSF leaders defecting to join the Sudanese army. The Al-Jazeera Conference platform, specializing in news from Gezira State, claimed the RSF killed several civilians and activists, triggering displacement of around 10,000 people from approximately 100 villages and raising concerns of potential executions of numerous captives.