The War in Sudan Transforms Courtyards into Makeshift Graveyards

Khartoum, Dec 5 (NationPress) Nearly a year and a half after his sister's death, Moheddine Saleh still holds a vivid memory of how she was interred in the courtyard of their residence located in the Al-Inqaz neighborhood, south of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.

"No one from my family attended the burial. We buried my sister in a shallow grave within our courtyard," he recounted.

On July 17, 2023, just three months after the conflict erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on April 15, a stray bullet struck Saleh's sister. She succumbed to her injuries hours later, as the ongoing violent clashes thwarted Saleh's efforts to transport her to a nearby hospital.

The war has severely disrupted traditional funeral customs and mourning rituals, which are typically attended by family and friends of the deceased, Saleh noted.

"The war not only took my sister's life, but also robbed her of a dignified funeral," he expressed, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

In the heart of Al-Salama neighborhood, situated south of Khartoum, an entire market has been repurposed as a temporary cemetery.

"These graves now stand as evidence of the inhumanity of man against his fellow beings. What has transpired here is unimaginable. Many have perished from direct confrontations or random shelling," shared Ehab Hashim, a local lawyer.

While Hashim conceded that makeshift graveyards are a pragmatic solution given the perilous security situation, he cautioned against potential legal ramifications.

"Undoubtedly, the methods of burial did not adhere to legal protocols and were not conducted through authorized entities, thereby infringing upon the victims' legal rights and obscuring the details surrounding their deaths," he warned.

In the city of Omdurman, located north of Khartoum, residents faced a similarly grim reality.

Less than a month after the outbreak of conflict, a shell landed in Omdurman's Al-Omda neighborhood, claiming the lives of three family members of Ashraf Abdul-Rahman.

"We had no choice but to bury them inside our home, even though a traditional cemetery was merely about 400 meters away," Abdul-Rahman lamented.

"It was a heart-wrenching decision, but it was necessary. Venturing into the street to reach the cemetery would have risked our lives, as bullets were falling like rain," he added.

There are no accurate statistics on the number of bodies interred within homes, public squares, or in front of public buildings since the fighting commenced. However, estimates from the Resistance Committees, a Sudanese volunteer organization, suggest the number could approach 3,000.

Among them were Majdolin Youssef, a Sudanese doctor, and her sister, who were laid to rest in the garden of their home in Khartoum on May 13, 2023, after being found dead under the rubble following an artillery strike, according to local media.

Khalid Sanhouri, a celebrated Sudanese musician and violinist, was interred in front of his residence in the al-Molazmeen neighborhood of Omdurman in July 2023. Sanhouri perished from severe blood circulation failure, and due to the precarious security situation at the time, transporting him to a hospital was impossible.

Sudan is experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis following the outbreak of conflict between the SAF and RSF. The devastating war has resulted in over 27,120 fatalities and displaced more than 14 million people, both internally and externally, according to estimates from international organizations.