LONDON: Rebel fighters from the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces have posted videos on social media that document their involvement in war crimes, according to a recent report by UK-based newspaper The Guardian.

The footage, which has been verified by the independent non-profit organization Centre for Information Resilience shows fighters destroying properties, burning homes and torturing prisoners.

The films could serve as key evidence in potential war crime prosecutions by international courts.

Alexa Koenig, co-developer of the Berkeley Protocol, which sets stands for social media use in war crime investigations, told The Guardian: “It’s someone condemning themselves. It’s not the same as a guilty plea but in some ways, it is a big piece of the puzzle that war crimes investigators have to put together.”

The RSF has been locked in conflict with the Sudanese military since April 2023, bringing the country to the brink of collapse.

Some estimates suggest there have been up to 150,000 civilian casualties, with 12 million people displaced. This would make Sudan the country with the highest internal displacement rate in the world, according to the UN.

In Darfur’s El Geneina, more than 10,000 people — mostly Masalit — were killed in 2023 during intense fighting. Mass graves, allegedly dug by RSF fighters, were discovered by a UN investigation.

One video posted on X by a pro-RSF account showed a fighter in front of the Masalit sultan’s house declaring: “There are no more Masalit … Arabs only.”

Other footage features fighters walking through streets lined with bodies, which they call “roadblocks,” and scenes of captives being abused and mocked. Some even took selfies with their victims.

The videos offer rare glimpses into the atrocities happening in Sudan, a region largely inaccessible to journalists and NGOs.

In August, Human Rights Watch accused both sides in Sudan’s ongoing conflict of committing war crimes, including summary executions and torture, after analyzing similar social media content.

LONDON: People in the UK will be able to reach Saudi Arabia for significantly reduced prices after budget carrier Wizz Air launched new flights from London.

The seven-hour overnight route will run from March 2025, connecting Gatwick Airport to Jeddah on new Airbus A321XLR aircraft. The carrier will also run a route to Abu Dhabi from the Italian city of Milan from June.

Tickets to Jeddah have gone on sale at £135 ($176.5), with each flight to carry up to 239 passengers.

The airline said some flights will be cheaper at $116.99 and run daily all year round, adding that they will connect “two vibrant cities.”

At a press conference in Jeddah, Andras Rado, Wizz Air’s head of communications and government affairs, said: “The Airbus A321XLR is the most cost-efficient aircraft of its class and, given the enhanced range capability, it enables Wizz Air to connect the furthest destinations in its network and further expand it, connecting cultures and continents.

“We’re excited to unlock unbeatable fares for our customers on the newly announced route to London, while offering the most sustainable option for flying … This new aircraft type marks a new era of ultra-low-fare travel on long-haul routes.”

Wizz Air will become one of the first operators of the new Airbus model, alongside Aer Lingus and Iberia, and has ordered 47 of the planes.

It is the furthest ranged of Airbus’s A320 aircraft, with a range of 8,700 km, and emits 30 percent fewer carbon emissions than its Boeing 757 and 767 competitors.

Stewart Wingate, CEO of Gatwick Airport, said the new model should help open more long-haul routes for the travel hub.

Wizz Air hopes that the new route to Jeddah will undercut British Airways. In a press release, Wizz Air said it “remains committed to expanding its presence in Saudi Arabia and beyond.”

The airline added that it is “contributing to the country’s connectivity in line with Vision 2030 and following a partnership agreement with the Saudi Tourism Authority to increase connectivity to Europe and boost inbound visitors.”