From Soreiba: Stories of Atrocities Committed by the RSF Militia

Wad Madani – Sudanhorizon
The stories of atrocities committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia in Al-Jazira State before the Sudanese army reclaimed control are beginning to emerge, revealing the suffering endured by the people of the region.
Residents recalled the painful episodes they endured inside the gathering hall of a well-known family in Soreiba, Wad Madani, a place usually filled with warmth and traditional Sudanese hospitality. No one in the village was spared from beatings and humiliation.
One eyewitness described how RSF soldiers marched through the streets with their weapons slung over their shoulders and whips in their hands, mercilessly lashing people of all ages. It was rare for a villager to go an entire day without being beaten.
Extortion in the Marketplace
Villagers recounted how RSF troops would show up at the market, one of them holding a plastic bag while shouting at the people to pay a “tax” of 2,000 Sudanese pounds. Everyone would pay in silence, knowing that refusal or protest was not an option. The amount demanded changed daily, depending on the whim of the militia member in charge.
Another resident shared, “If someone were seen tending to their livestock grazing in abandoned fields, the militia would take an animal from them to feed their checkpoint unit at Soreiba Bridge. If the owner were absent, the militia would round up the animals and keep them inaccessible. When the owner came to report their missing livestock, they would demand a large ransom, known as ‘Al-Salaf’ (the toll), before returning them. The owner would pay and receive two lashes on his back as part of the ‘deal.’”
Ransom and Arbitrary Detention
One of the most feared practices was targeting families with relatives living abroad. Without any provocation, the RSF would find an excuse to detain their family members and demand a ransom for their release.
“If someone so much as looked at them in the market, they would accuse him of contempt. If he avoided eye contact and lowered his head, they would accuse him of being an intelligence agent. Either way, he would receive two lashes before being thrown into a detention centre. His family would then be told to pay a ransom for his freedom.”
The militia also operated a notorious Toyota Hilux pickup truck, which the children of Soreiba dubbed “Al-Salaf”—a reference to the extortion racket it facilitated. Those who were unlucky enough to be stopped by the militia would be forced into the truck and subjected to a brutal interrogation:
• “You are a Fulool (a supporter of former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir’s regime).”
o “No, no! I’m not Fulool!”
• “Then you must be from the ‘State of 56’ (a reference to those who believe in Sudan’s unity before South Sudan’s secession).”
o “No, I swear I’m not from the State of 56!”
• “Then you must be part of the security forces!”
o “No, I’m just a merchant—I have nothing to do with any political or military group!”
The moment a detainee answered, the whipping would begin. “Regardless of what you say, you are forced to choose an identity that suits them—only then does the ransom negotiation begin,” said a survivor.
One man at the gathering recalled how his family was forced to pay 6 million Sudanese pounds to secure his release, while another spoke of his relatives paying 12 million pounds to free him.
“Can you believe that one human being could inflict such cruelty on another?” he asked.
Justice at Last
Despite these horrors, the people of Soreiba take solace in the recent victories of the Sudanese army, particularly the total destruction of RSF forces and their weaponry by Sudanese Air Force fighter jets.
As one resident concluded, “The RSF militia has now met the fate they imposed on others. Their own saying—‘Dunya Zailee wa Naeemki Zayel’ (Life is fleeting, and your wealth will not last)—has returned to haunt them.”