Investigation opened, military force implicated in assault on citizens in Port Sudan detained

The Commander of the Red Sea Military Zone, Lt. Gen. Mahjoub Bushra, has ordered the detention of a military force involved in an assault on Beja youth in Port Sudan, including high-ranking officers.

He ordered an immediate investigation into the incident, stressing that all those involved would be held accountable without exception.

The details of the incident date back to an army member assaulting a group of Beja youth near an army post in central Port Sudan because they were speaking to each other in the Beja language. This provoked the soldier, who attacked them with beatings and insults, according to the testimony of one of the victims in a widely circulated video, monitored by the Zawya Net website.

Mahjoub explained that what happened was an individual act that is completely unacceptable and does not in any way reflect the values and directives of the army, which prioritize respect for citizens and the preservation of their dignity. He stated that the military institution will not tolerate any behavior that could distort the relationship between the army and civil society or undermine citizens’ confidence in the armed forces.

He pledged to hold anyone proven to be involved legally accountable, whether of lower or higher ranks, stressing that the army would not tolerate any violations that undermine its prestige or tarnish its image among the public. He noted that military law makes no distinction between a soldier and a commander if a conviction is proven.