MPCT

“I Had to Be There”: Dr. Safaa Ali Stays to Save Patients as Witnesses Describe the Killing of 52 Wounded People Inside El Fasher Hospital In the second part of Sudan’s War: The Final Chapter, from the documentary series Malik Documents, journalist Malik Alrougui presents powerful Sudanese testimonies describing hospital attacks, death threats, torture, and the killing of wounded patients by the UAE-backed Rapid Support Militia (Janjaweed). From a doctor who refused to abandon her patients even after her family fled the country, to a nurse who recounts the killing of dozens of wounded people inside a hospital in El Fasher, and a survivor describing brutal torture, the documentary exposes allegations of grave abuses against civilians and healthcare workers, alongside the extraordinary efforts of medical teams to save lives under life-threatening conditions. At the center of these testimonies is Dr. Safaa Ali Mohamed Yousif, a Sudanese obstetrician and gynecologist named among the BBC’s 100 Women of 2024, recognizing some of the world’s most inspiring and influential women. She was recognized for her efforts to care for pregnant women and save lives during Sudan’s war. Working at the Saudi Maternity Hospital in Omdurman, she continued providing medical care and performing Caesarean sections despite dangerous conditions and severe shortages of medical personnel. She also helped train approximately 20 newly graduated female doctors to address the shortage of healthcare workers. The BBC highlighted her remarkable experience in a January 2025 report documenting her efforts to maintain maternity services despite the dangers facing Sudanese hospitals. Speaking to Malik, Dr. Safaa describes how the hospital became increasingly dangerous as shelling intensified and militia fighters occupied nearby positions. She explains that Saudi Arabia had established three hospitals in Omdurman, Kassala, and El Fasher before recounting the conditions faced by her medical team in Omdurman. With only a small number of healthcare workers available, the hospital continued receiving women requiring emergency procedures and maternity care. Some working days began at dawn and continued until two or three the following morning, leaving staff members’ hands aching from repeatedly stitching wounds during operations. Whenever militia fighters entered the hospital, Dr. Safaa says she confronted them, explaining that it was a maternity hospital, that there were no soldiers inside, and that the women needed medical care that could not simply be stopped. She also recalls receiving death threats, including a warning that “one bullet” would be enough to get rid of her. Despite these threats, Dr. Safaa gathered her colleagues to decide whether they should continue working. Most of the doctors had already sent their families away, and the hospital had become both their workplace and their shelter. She recalls speaking openly about the possibility of death, telling them that people could die in their beds, from a bullet, or anywhere else, but that they should continue providing medical care for as long as they were able. She asked those willing to make that commitment to stand with her, and according to her account, the medical team agreed to remain. That same day, she returned home to discover that her husband and children had decided to leave Sudan because of the intensifying bombardment. She faced an agonizing choice: leave with her family or honor the promise she had made to her colleagues and remain with her patients. She summed up her decision in a few words: “I had to be there.” Her testimony also describes abuses against women receiving maternity care. She says militia fighters entered rooms while women were in labor, attempting to take their phones and money, and that she intervened to protect the patients. She also recalls the killing of Hassan, whom she describes as a member of the public order services. According to Dr. Safaa, Hassan had come to warn her not to allow doctors outside because of intense gunfire. He was then shot and killed in front of them. The shooting was so heavy that they could not immediately reach his body, forcing them to wait more than two hours before they could recover it and return it to his family. The documentary then turns to Khadija, a nurse interviewed by Malik at a displacement camp, who recounts what she witnessed at the Saudi Hospital in El Fasher. According to her testimony, Rapid Support Militia fighters attacked the hospital from four directions, with approximately 25 vehicles entering the facility. The attackers spread through different departments, including surgery, internal medicine, pediatrics, and fistula care. When Malik asks whether there were soldiers inside the hospital, Khadija denies the presence of army personnel, explaining that only police guards were stationed there to protect the facility. She describes how the attackers separated patients from doctors and nurses, gathering each group in different areas. She also speaks about a colleague named Afaf, whose husband and father, she says, were killed by militia fighters. One of the most disturbing allegations in Khadija’s testimony concerns a man known as “Abu Lulu.” She says she personally witnessed him opening fire on wounded patients lying inside the hospital. When Malik asks how many patients were involved, she answers that there were 52 wounded people in the wards. Malik repeats the question, seeking to confirm that these were injured patients receiving treatment inside the hospital. Khadija maintains her account as an eyewitness. Her testimony describes the alleged killing of people already wounded and receiving medical care, raising grave questions about attacks on patients who should have been protected under international humanitarian law. The documentary also includes the testimony of another woman who describes severe torture and physical abuse involving a metal instrument. She says she was accused of spying for the Sudanese army while her captors searched for SIM cards they believed she possessed or had concealed. Struggling to recount her experience, she explains that the injuries and pain caused by the assault have continued long after the abuse itself. The program returns to Abu Rahaf, the former militia commander featured in the first part, who offers his account of Abu Lulu’s relationship with the Rapid Support Militia leadership. He claims that Abu Lulu receives instructions directly from Hemedti, the militia’s commander, and describes alleged family and marital connections between them. He also accuses Abu Lulu of kidnapping civilians and demanding payments for their release. These claims remain attributed to Abu Rahaf’s testimony, but they raise serious questions about the relationship between militia commanders and those accused of carrying out abuses, including responsibility for orders and the conduct of fighters under their command. Malik Alrougui and the Malik Documents team deserve recognition for giving Sudanese survivors and witnesses the time and space to recount their experiences in detail. Dr. Safaa Ali describes the promise she made to her medical team and the patients she refused to abandon. Khadija recounts the storming of a hospital and the alleged killing of wounded patients. Another survivor describes torture whose effects she continues to endure. Together, these testimonies reveal the dangers faced by Sudanese civilians and healthcare workers, while underscoring the urgent need to protect hospitals and patients, investigate the reported atrocities, and hold those responsible accountable. #Sudan #MalikDocuments