On January 15, army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan announced an investigation into alleged abuses committed by his forces in Gazira state.

The Sudanese army also issued a statement responding to accusations of revenge killings in Gezira.

“The Armed Forces condemn the recent personal violations that occurred in some areas of Gezira state following the purges of Wadmadani (Force Sans Frontières),” the statement read.

The statement added: “At the same time, the Army affirms its strict compliance with international law and is keen to hold to account anyone involved in unlawful conduct that affects anyone in the Carnaby area.”

Sudanese political commentator and former journalist Dalia Abdelmonem told Al Jazeera that the military’s statement met all requirements for a commitment to hold Wadmadani accountable for his abuses. However, it must perform better in order to gain international support to defeat Reporters Without Borders.

Abdel Monem said: “This is a great opportunity for the army to show that it is a real army and that it will only target Médecins Sans Frontières (forward) and not civilians and will not do so again. ill-treatment, torture or summary execution.”

“It has to say, ‘We are going to stop this,'” she told Al Jazeera.

A recent report by the International Crisis Group, a think tank based in Brussels, Belgium, said that since the war, SSF has shown little ability to manage the territory under its control, with the militants regularly looting, kidnapping for ransom and causing chaos.

As a result, many Sudanese view Forces Without Borders as an existential threat to the country, despite their strong concerns and traditional opposition to the military, stemming from its poor human rights record and its refusal to remove Bashir after he was overthrown. Power was transferred entirely to civilian authorities following a popular uprising in 2019.

While the military regained popular support during the war, Bardo is not optimistic that the investigation will be able to hold Wadmadani accountable for atrocities because human rights abuses are a systemic problem within the military.

He referred to the beheadings in February and said the army had promised to investigate the incident but no one had been held accountable.

“If (I see) the commanders who oversaw the massacre in Kanabi (civilians) are held accountable, then I believe (the investigation) has happened. If I see the results, I will believe it,” he told Al Jazeera.