Khidir Sulieman Abdelmageed

Background and Work

Khidir Sulieman Abdelmageed directed Afkar, a human rights organisation operating in El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state. His work centred on monitoring and documenting human rights violations in Darfur, a region marked by cycles of violence, displacement, and impunity. He collaborated with several national and international human rights organisations, contributing field documentation and analysis to their reporting.

In the period leading up to his death, Khidir worked with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), supporting human rights and governance programming in Darfur. His documentation work made him a key witness to the violence that engulfed West Darfur during the armed conflict that broke out in April 2023.

Context: Armed Conflict and the Spread of Violence to Darfur

On 15 April 2023, armed conflict erupted in Khartoum between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group. The fighting rapidly spread beyond the capital. In Darfur, the RSF and allied militias launched attacks on civilian populations, particularly targeting non-Arab communities and camps for internally displaced persons.

Between late May and early June 2023, El Geneina became a focal point of extreme violence. Human rights defenders and lawyers working to document abuses and defend victims found themselves directly threatened. Two colleagues of Khidir—Mohammed Ahmed Kudia and Khamis Arabab—were killed in attacks on their homes in late May, just days apart.

Death Threats and Killing

Khidir received death threats in the days before his death. On 11 June 2023, he attempted to leave his house in El Geneina. He was attacked and killed on the road. The circumstances of the attack suggest he was targeted because of his human rights work and his role as a witness to the violence unfolding in West Darfur.

His killing followed a pattern. Mohammed Ahmed Kudia, a human rights defender and lawyer, was killed on 28 May 2023 when RSF members attacked his home, burned it down, and looted his property. Two days later, on 30 May 2023, Khamis Arabab, another lawyer and member of the Darfur Bar Association, was killed during an RSF attack on his house. Both men had received death threats from militia members while working on cases related to attacks on IDP camps in El Geneina.

The Darfur Bar Association issued a statement in May 2023 confirming that Mohammed Ahmed Kudia and Khamis Arabab had been threatened in connection with their legal and human rights work prior to their deaths.

A Dangerous Environment for Human Rights Work

The armed conflict and the expansion of RSF control in West Darfur created an environment of extreme danger for human rights defenders. Those who documented violations or defended victims of attacks faced direct reprisals. The targeting of Khidir Sulieman Abdelmageed, Mohammed Ahmed Kudia, and Khamis Arabab within a two-week period represents a deliberate pattern of violence against those monitoring and responding to abuses in the region.

Khidir's death deprived the community in El Geneina of a critical source of documentation and accountability. His work with Afkar and international partners had provided a record of violations in a region where impunity remains entrenched.